Dark God

by T C Southwell

  Two more dark, miserable days passed, and Ellese's eyes recovered a little. The healers shared their food with the villagers, and an occasional blood-curdling scream came from the depths of the dark army as one of its number perished to feed the rest.

  On the fifth day, Mirra woke, unleashing a reign of horror upon the healers. Her first action was to tear off the cloth that covered her arm. Then, she began to scream. Tallis tried to soothe her, but Mirra pushed her away, weeping hysterically as she clawed at the black scales. Her nails tore, and blood ran from her fingers until she was held down and her hand bandaged. Her transformed arm was also wrapped so she could not use it to tear the bandages off her other hand, and thus handicapped, all she could do was weep. It took an entire night and day before she calmed down, exhausted by her hysterics, after which she stared into space with vacant, hollow eyes. Tallis tried to persuade her to eat, but she turned her face to the wall and closed her eyes.

  On the seventh day it started to rain, and the healers thanked the Goddess for the blessed gift, even though the rain was black with soot, and burnt. The vile water scalded man and beast alike, and forced the villagers to herd their livestock into the abbey's stables to protect them. It ate into the temple's bricks and mortar, causing unprotected outside walls to crumble. In some places it burnt through the roof tiles and formed hissing pools until the healers set buckets under the leaks. The dry ground soaked it up for half a day, then the ash turned to mud and ran downhill, filling hollows with thick grey slush. The villagers huddled in the chapel, their children filling the usually silent abbey halls with soft sobbing. The dark folk retreated to the forest's dubious shelter, and Martal was glad to see them go, he only wished they would leave completely.

  The rain continued to fall and the water to rise, invading the abbey with questing fingers of mud, flooding storerooms and forcing the soldiers to spend a day moving the supplies to higher ground. Tallis developed a strong wish that Bane would wake, but the Demon Lord lay like one dead. Only the movement of his chest indicated that he was alive. The seven runes dimmed to a dark reddish glow, and the power emanating from him lessened. The flesh melted from him, however, since he ate nothing but the sugar water the healers trickled into his mouth.

  Tallis was dozing on the chair in his room when a soft sound jerked her awake, and she glanced at the bed. Bane's eyes were open, and he stared at the ceiling with a distant, bemused expression. Tallis jumped up and hastened to his side, dithered, then ran to the door to shout the news into the corridor. Rushing back to the bed, she found that he had raised an arm to examine the bandage on his hand. His eyes were impossibly blue, glowing like jewels, and she jumped when they flicked to her, impaling her with their brilliance.

  "Take these off."

  She hesitated, surprised. Surely he should be asking for water, or food? "Your hands are badly burnt."

  He tried to sit up, but flopped back. "Do as I say."

  "All right, but could you...?" She gestured to his chest.

  Bane glanced down at the runes and closed his eyes. The glow vanished, and with it, the dark power. Tallis sat on the edge of the bed, hoping that Ellese would arrive soon, for she found him extremely unnerving. She unwrapped the bandages, trying not to hurt him and dreading his reaction to what lay beneath them.

  The healers had expected an infection to set in, which would have led to amputation without the power to heal him, but his hands had remained the same as the day they had found him. He scowled when she removed the last of the bandages, flexed his fingers and winced.

  Ellese came in, followed by several Elder Mothers, who stopped in the doorway. She smiled at him, her eyes bright with joy.

  "It is good to see you awake. How do you feel?"

  He glared at her, shooting a hard glance at the women in the doorway. "Where is Mirra?"

  "She is in her room."

  A little of the tension left him, and he tried to sit up again, but failed. Ellese came closer and shooed Tallis away, then sat in her place and held out her hand.

  "Would you like some help?"

  Bane glowered at her, but placed his wrist in her hand. She gripped it, and with her help, he pulled himself up. Tallis pushed pillows in behind him, and he scowled at the women in the doorway.

  "Leave."

  They obeyed, to Tallis' surprise, for Elder Mothers did not usually take kindly to being dismissed in such a rude fashion. Bane glanced at her, and she froze, dreading her own dismissal, but after a moment's consideration he turned his attention back to Ellese.

  "How is she?"

  "As well as can be expected."

  Bane seemed to accept this at face value, and glanced at the sheets of grey rain outside the window, then back at his hand. Ellese poured a cup of water from the jug on the bedside table and held it out to him. He raised his hand, hesitated, then closed his eyes and sighed.

  "It seems fate has granted your wish, old woman. My hands are useless. I require your help."

  She smiled. "It will be my pleasure."

  Ellese held the cup to Bane's lips, and he sipped the water. Something had changed, but Tallis could not quite put her finger on exactly what it was. When he had drunk half the water, he shook his head, and Ellese put the cup down.

  "Bane, you require healing and for that, we need the sun. It has been raining for four days; the land is flooded. Are you strong enough to help us?"

  "Perhaps when I have eaten."

  Ellese glanced at Tallis. "Bring some food. The best we have."

  Tallis nodded and fled, her bare feet pattering on the stone floor. The news of Bane's awakening had spread throughout the temple, and a buzz of excitement filled the halls. Even in the kitchens, the women chattered eagerly, their eyes bright with hope. Bane's request had been foreseen, and a rich stew bubbled on the stove, filled with the finest food the abbey possessed. The god in their midst had woken, and the promise of deliverance from their hardship shone in the future like a beacon. Tallis left the kitchens and ran to Mirra's room, leaving the hope and happiness of the halls to enter the gloom and sorrow that filled it.

  Mirra lay curled on the bed, facing the wall, her bound hands tucked under her chin. Tallis sat beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder, which stiffened at her touch.

  "Mir, Bane is awake. He is going to bring back the sun, and then you can be healed." Mirra began to weep again, and Tallis' heart sank. "Come on, Mir, this will soon be over, I promise."

  "You cannot heal me," she muttered. "No one can."

  "Of course we can, and we will."

  "You cannot!" Mirra's face twisted, and she buried it in the pillow.

  "Mir..." Tallis shook her, but she only hunched her shoulder. "Come on, Mir. I will bring him to see you as soon as he is strong enough."

  "No!"

  The vehemence in Mirra's voice startled Tallis. "But I thought -"

  "Do not bring him here. I could not bear it." She raised her head, her eyes filled with sorrow. "I do not want him to see what that monster did to me."

  "But -"

  "No! Do not. Promise me."

  "Mir..."

  Mirra raised the swaddled, monstrous arm, waving it. "Do you think I want him to see this?"

  "No, of course not. After you are healed then, all right?"

  She lay back, closing her eyes. "Yes, after I am healed."

  "Good." Tallis hesitated, sensing something wrong with her reaction, then shrugged it off and rose, heading back to the kitchens to fetch Bane's food.

  Ellese regarded Bane with deep affection, wishing she could embrace him. "What happened out there?"

  "I think you know."

  "You called upon the Lady, and she blessed you."

  "Blessed me? She almost bloody killed me."

  "I am sure she had no choice."

  He held up his hand. "This is why there are no white mages."

  "Yes. The white fire is too powerful for a mortal to wield. The only reason you survived is because you are a god, albeit a dark one. S
he was able to use you as a conduit, but you had to ask for her help." She laid a hand on his chest, her need to touch him overcoming her reluctance to anger him. "I watched it all. It was amazing. When he created that monster I thought you were doomed."

  A slight, bitter smile curled his lips. "Whatever the Black Lord can do, so can I."

  "Are the people outside the hallowed ground in danger from demons now?"

  "Not for a while. Almost half of them were at the battle, the fire and earth demons, anyway. They are now all too weak to do anything for some time. And those that were below are also considerably weakened because of the vast amount of dark power that was drawn from the Underworld during the battle. Minor demons that were above at that time remain a threat, but generally demons do not kill humans for sport. They prefer tormenting and trickery to amuse themselves."

  Ellese smiled. "Good."

  Tallis came in with a bowl of steaming stew, and the conversation ceased while Ellese fed him, being careful not to treat him like a child. He clearly hated his disability, often raising his crippled hand and glaring at it. After he had finished the stew, she left him to rest, shooing Tallis out.

  In the hall, Tallis turned to her. "I told Mirra. She will not see him."

  Ellese's brows shot up. "Why not?"

  "Her arm..."

  "Of course. That will change when she has been healed."

  "That is what I said. But I do not think she wants him to know about it."

  Ellese nodded. "Understandable. We will not tell him then."

  "We lie?"

  "No, we do not tell him."

  The rain drummed on the temple roof, overflowing the gutters and seeping in through cracks and crannies, running down the walls to pool on the floor. The damage to the roof allowed still more to pour in, and rivers of mud crept in through the doors. The eternal flame grew dimmer, and the people waited, whispering in the halls, wrapped in blankets to ward off the increasing cold.

  When Tallis went to check on Bane, she found him asleep, and settled on the chair to wait. The dim light outside faded as the sun sank behind the clouds, and more lamps were lighted. The healers eked out their meagre rations in a frugal supper, and those that could, slept. The rest waited, and some prayed.

  Mirra lay curled in the darkness. Tears ran down her face, and her sorrow was a black void within her. She could not let Bane see what the Black Lord had done to her. The prospect was too horrific to bear contemplation. She was an abomination, beyond help, for she knew with a deep certainty that her arm could not be healed. It was not an injury or a disease, it was part of her, her own flesh, changed into a monstrosity.

  It would disgust him, being, as it was, a part of the world that had raised him, which he hated now. Everything she had hoped for, all her dreams of a future with Bane in it were gone, shattered by Arkonen's casual cruelty. She wanted to scream, to tear the monstrous flesh from her arm, find a kitchen knife and hack it off. Instead she listened to the endless drumming of the rain, and wept.

  Tallis jerked awake and raised her head, wincing as her stiff neck protested. Her eyes fell upon the bed, where Bane sat, regarding her with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.

  "You snore."

  She gulped, wide-awake now, and nervous. "I am sorry."

  He smiled and looked away, apparently aware of his effect on her. "Why is it always you I find sitting here when I wake?"

  "I - the others are tired... I volunteered. I am Mirra's friend. She would want me to look after you and I helped to bring you here and I volunteered..." Realising that she was gabbling, she shut her mouth.

  "You are still afraid of me."

  "No - yes. Only when you are awake."

  "Well, that makes sense." He attempted to stand, and sank down again.

  Tallis jumped up. "I will call Ellese."

  "No." Bane glanced out of the window, where a slight lightening of the clouds indicated that dawn had broken beyond them. "I would rather not have an audience."

  "Of course." She wrung her hands.

  Bane tried to stand again, but his knees buckled and he winced as his bare hand came into contact with the bed.

  Tallis started forward in concern. "I should bandage that hand again, before you hurt it."

  He looked up, making her step back. "No. In fact, you may unbandage the other one."

  "But..."

  He held it out. "Now."

  Not daring to disobey, she unwound the cloth. He studied it, then stretched out his hands towards her, making her catch her breath in irrational fear.

  "Help me up."

  Tallis hesitated, her eyes riveted to his mutilated hands, and Bane sighed, lowering them.

  "When I require breakfast, I will ask for some of that sludge you people call porridge. I have no taste for humans, no matter what my reputation says."

  Not wanting to appear any more foolish than she already did, she took hold of his wrists when he raised his hands again, providing support for him to pull himself up. His legs wobbled, and he leant on her, so close that she was almost nose-to-nose with him, and his hair brushed her brow. Then he straightened, swaying. As soon as he stopped leaning on her, she released him and stepped back, her eyes sliding away from his bare chest.

  Turning to the table, she picked up his shirt, which had been cleaned and pressed, as had his cloak. She held it out, then realised that he could not dress himself without hands, and he had not even been able to don his boots. He turned to the window, took a couple of careful steps towards it and gazed out at the rain, which had ceased to be caustic two days ago.

  Plucking up her courage, she said, "I will help you to dress, but it would be easier if you sat down."

  "I am not strong enough yet." He continued to gaze out of the window, frowning. "What foul stuff your world is made of."

  "You mean water? Without it we would die. Surely you have to drink it, just as we do?"

  "No. Once I got wet in a storm like this though, and again when I broke the sixth ward. Very unpleasant."

  "You have never drunk water, or had a bath?"

  He turned to face her. "No. I drink only wine, and the dark power keeps me clean."

  She studied her hands. "Would you like some breakfast now?"

  "Yes. Then you will take me to see Mirra."

  Her breath caught. "I cannot."

  "Why not?"

  "I... I have told her that you are awake, and she has asked that you not see her until after she is healed." She raised her eyes, biting her lip. Bane's frown deepened, and his piercing eyes made her shiver.

  "What is wrong with her?"

  "She does not want you to know. That is why she will not see you now, so I cannot tell you."

  "She does not want to see me?"

  "No."

  Bane turned and sank down on the bed, his expression shuttered. Tallis wanted to blurt the truth, but bit her tongue, put down the shirt, and fled.

  Bane stared at the floor, his heart turning to stone. The last time he had seen Mirra, she had not appeared to be injured, apart from a bruised throat, but he could not understand why a few bruises would make her refuse to see him. Her arm had been wrapped in a cloth, he recalled, but even if it was broken or burnt, that still did not seem like a good reason. A far better explanation was that now his purpose was served, the Black Lord was cast down, and she no longer needed to pretend to care for him.

  Who could possibly care for him anyway? She had certainly put on a good act, and he had fallen for it. Now he was being cast aside, yet who could blame her? After all he had done to her, she probably hated him. He raised his blackened hands and stared at them, wishing he could cover his face to hide his despair. She had betrayed him, just as Arkonen had done, only hers was far worse, yet he could not hate her. It was fitting punishment for his cruelty, and he accepted it, even though it filled him with a dark, nameless emotion that sapped his strength and weighed heavily on his heart, filling his chest with a dull pain.

  When Tallis returned with hi
s breakfast he had no appetite, but forced himself to eat half of it for strength. Even so, when Ellese came to see him an hour later he was barely able to walk unaided, but he agreed that it was time to close the Sources and drive the dark power from the Overworld.

  Tallis was spared the onerous chore of helping him dress. Her blatant aversion to him made him wish that she would just go away and leave him alone. Yet she hung around, to his annoyance, watching him with a mixture of dread and fascination that he found repellent. He tolerated her because she was Mirra's special friend, and wondered why he continued to do so now. Ellese helped him dress, smiling but looking concerned. When he was clad once more in his rich black clothes, he made two abortive attempts to stand before he allowed her to help him to his feet, and stood swaying.

  "Help me outside."

  She looked scandalised. "You cannot go out there. You are too weak. Surely you can do it in here?"

  "No. You would not want that, I assure you."

  "Then wait a little longer."

  "No."

  "Bane..."

  He scowled. "Do as I say."

  She sighed, her expression one of gentle reproach. "The courtyard?"

  "No. Beyond the hallowed ground."

  Ellese turned to Tallis. "Go and tell Martal to get the cart ready." The girl left, and Ellese beckoned to the healers who stood in the doorway. "You two, help him."

  They went to him and took his arms, careful not to touch his hands. He leant on them as he walked down the corridor to the inner courtyard, where Martal waited with the cart and a few men. Bane climbed aboard with Ellese, Tallis, Martal and the two healers, all of them drenched to the skin within a few moments. The driver whipped up the horses, and the cart sloshed through axle-deep water, the horses slipping and sliding in the mud. Bane's exhaustion was so profound that he was not inclined to use the dark power to Move or keep the rain off. He needed what little energy he had to command the shadows below.