Demon Lord VII - Dark Domain (22 page)

“And if I
refuse?”

Bane sighed and
gazed out of the window. “Then you are even more of an imbecile
than I thought. Do you still not realise the futility of defying
me? Everything you have attempted has failed, and you have suffered
losses every time. That will continue to happen if you persist. You
will tell your people that they have one day to return to the
domain before the gate closes.”

Predoran drew
himself up. “No. I won’t do it. You have no right to threaten us,
or close our Great Gate. It’s illegal! The courts will uphold my
right to refuse your orders. Who the hell do you think you are? You
may be a dra’voren, but we destroy your kind all the time, and
we’ll destroy you too! You and your cronies should go back to
whatever dark place you came from, and -”

Bane silenced
the garrulous governor and turned his head. “Setiss, come to
me.”

The air demon
appeared beside him, a vague man-shape of pale mist. The governor,
whose mouth continued to open and close, his expression reflecting
his growing alarm at his inability to speak, jumped up and backed
away, his eyes wide.

Setiss bowed to
Bane. “Lord.”

“Take on a
human aspect.”

Setiss seemed
to swell, then shrink as he solidified into a tall, rangy man with
ash blond hair, a narrow, handsome face and a short goatee. He wore
a sleek, expensive-looking grey suit, similar to those worn by the
locals, although considerably more stylish than Predoran’s
tasteless garb. Air demons tended to be particularly vain, but the
effect was somewhat spoilt by his surfeit of garish jewellery. His
glittering jet eyes darted to the governor, then back to Bane.

“This is an air
demon,” Bane informed Predoran. “He is under my command, and fully
capable of killing you swiftly should you disobey me.” He turned to
Setiss. “You will ensure this human sends all the people in this
city who wish to return to the domain into it. If he does not, kill
him and assume his likeness, then carry out my orders. You will not
harm anyone else. Your task will end when the realm gate
closes.”

“Yes,
Lord.”

Bane rose and
faced the governor. “If you find a way to vanquish Setiss before he
can kill you, I shall destroy this city and kill everyone in
it.”

“You… you can’t
do that!”

“I can, and I
will. You call me a destroyer, even though I am not. If you anger
me sufficiently, however, I shall become one. Allow me to
demonstrate.”

The floor
shivered, then trembled, the movement growing to a fairly forceful
shudder. The governor blanched and gripped the back of the sofa as
vibrations ran through the building, causing ornaments to fall from
shelves and paintings to slide askew on the walls. A deep rumble
came from outside, and Predoran gawped out of the window as a
distant, partially ruined building collapsed, sending up a cloud of
dust. One of the huge windows shattered and fell outwards, and dust
rained down from the ceiling.

“All right!”
Predoran cried. “I’ll do as you say. Please stop this!”

The vibrations
eased and the rumble died away as Bane said, “Use your instrument
to warn the people that the gate will close tomorrow. Do it
now.”

The governor
went over to the communications device on the floor, keying it.
“Darris, get me Major Ranjal.”

“Yes sir,” a
tinny voice replied.

Tense seconds
ticked past, and a sheen of oily sweat formed on Predoran’s brow as
he waited, darting furtive glances at Bane and Setiss.

Another voice
issued from the device. “Major Ranjal here.”

“Major, contact
the press and tell them to broadcast a warning, that the Great Gate
will close tomorrow, then arrange transport for anyone who wants to
return to Bayona.”

“Sir?”

“Just do
it!”

“Yes sir.”

Predoran
straightened to face Bane. “They won’t go.”

“That is their
choice, but they must have one. Some of those who choose to stay
here may very well die. Setiss, if he changes that order, kill
him.”

The demon
sniggered. “With pleasure, Lord.”

Bane went to a
broken window, stepped through it and directed his power downwards,
flying back to the gate. He landed just within it and strolled
through the cloud gardens to the gazebo, where Kayos and Sherinias
were engrossed in their Eyes. The young goddess smiled at Bane as
he flopped down on a spare couch and summoned a cup of ambrosia. He
wondered what they were watching. It seemed to have captured their
attention utterly. After about half an hour, just as he was
considering returning to Miraculous, he noticed an increase in the
volume of flying traffic as quite a few large vehicles headed out
of the gate.

“It looks like
the populace of the outer city has chosen to return, and Predoran
has summoned more vehicles to transport his people into the
domain,” he remarked.

Kayos looked up
and nodded. “Not surprising. Who would want to be left in the God
Realm? Even if they can survive, it would be a grim life.” His eyes
flicked down to Bane. “We should use one of these vessels when we
continue our journey. It will make travelling through the God Realm
safer, quicker and more comfortable. Commander Nikira is willing to
offer her ship.”

Bane scowled.
“She has spoken to you about it, too?”

“No, Drevarin
told me that she asked her crew to volunteer when she reclaimed her
ship.”

“I have already
refused her offer.”

Kayos’ brows
rose. “For what reason?”

Bane hesitated,
embarrassed. “She is… infatuated with me.”

Kayos’ eyes
twinkled. “Ah. And you have rejected her.”

“Of course, but
she is persistent.”

“Her ship can
convey us safely and speedily back to Myrthran once we have rescued
Ashynaria, too, and I know you and Mirra long to return home. Then
Nikira can go to Drevarin’s domain or return here. Sherinias will
protect her.”

Bane sighed. “I
have no wish to be the object of infatuation. It is irksome and
embarrassing, especially her rather heavy handed advances.”

“Come now,
Bane, you can deal with a few ardent looks and a bit of
overfamiliarity, should she continue to pursue the matter.”

“I do not like
it, even so.” He raised a hand when Kayos opened his mouth. “I
shall consider it.”

“We will not be
here much longer. You need to rest from the darkness before you
create the wards, and I would like to spend a few days with my
daughter. I still have much to teach her.” Kayos smiled at
Sherinias.

She returned
it, although her eyes were sad. “I wish you could all stay,
Father.”

“Perhaps we
will visit on our way back,” Bane suggested.

“I would like
that very much, My Lord.”

Bane dismissed
his cup and rose to his feet. “I will be aboard Miraculous.”

Chapter Eleven

Favour

Bane glanced up
as Tryne stepped from the air a few feet away, raised his snowy
wings and bowed. Mirra gasped and Drevarin looked around, his
expression becoming shuttered. Bane had returned from the gazebo
only half an hour earlier, to tell Mirra and Drevarin what had
happened, and had been contemplating the happy prospect of casting
out the dark power again once he had closed the dark realm’s world
gate. Angels, it seemed, had a knack for popping out of the
woodwork at the most inopportune moments. The hum of conversation
from the refugees continued undisturbed, from which Bane deduced
that only he, Mirra and Drevarin could see the angel.

He raised his
eyebrows. “Tryne.”

“Lord. I regret
my intrusion. I wish to redeem one of the favours you owe me.”

“Now is not a
good time.”

“Unfortunately,
it is urgent, Lord; a matter of life and death.”

“What is it?”
Bane asked, curious despite his reluctance.

“Demons have
abducted a priestess of Pretarin and taken her to the Underworld,
using an ancient Fetch. She is a member of one of the few cults
that still exist in this world. She prayed to Pretarin to save
her.”

Mirra gazed at
the angel with a rapt expression, and Bane knew she found them awe
inspiring, even though Kayos dismissed them as a nuisance, meddlers
who sometimes did more harm than good. He remembered his experience
with Syrin all too well. So far, Tryne had not been as annoying,
and he wondered if that was about to change now that the domain’s
urgent issues had been addressed and he had time to grant
favours.

“I require a
name, or a face, in order to find her,” he said.

“I can provide
a face.”

“How so? You
cannot go below.”

Tryne shook his
head. “When I heard her prayer and followed it, I witnessed her
abduction. Not only did I see her face, I also know where the Fetch
is.”

Bane shrugged.
“So?”

“If it remains,
the demons will use it to abduct more innocents.”

“I do not know
if anyone in this world can be called innocent, except perhaps this
priestess and others like her, but if you want me to close it, it
will cost you another favour.”

Mirra poked
him. “Bane!”

“What?”

“Is it so hard
to close a Fetch?”

“No,” he
admitted.

“So you are
just being difficult.”

“I am granting
the favours he has earned. There are undoubtedly many Fetches in
this domain, being used for the same purpose, and hundreds of
people being tortured by demons every day. I do not want to spend
days closing them, and besides, they will all be sealed when the
wards are created.”

She sighed and
gazed at the angel again, who watched her with a hopeful expression
that faded when Bane turned to him and asked, “So? Do you want it
closed?”

Tryne inclined
his head. “Yes, Lord; as another favour.”

Bane beckoned.
“You will need to come closer for me to take this priestess’ face
from your memory.”

Tryne
approached and knelt at Bane’s feet, displaying the strange
fearlessness angels gained once they had touched him and learnt the
truth about him. Bane placed his hand on the angel’s bowed head,
allowing his memories to rush in.

A slim,
middle-aged woman with dark eyes and hair, clad in a long white
robe, struggled in the grip of two brawny, bald thugs wearing
silver-studded black leather outfits comprising many straps and
buckles, gold chains around their necks and rings in their noses
and ears. The demon deviants dragged the kicking, screaming woman
into a rundown house on a dingy street, and the door slammed behind
them.

Bane lifted his
hand, and the angel rose and stepped back, going behind him to gaze
into the Eye. Bane refocused it on the Underworld, searching for
the unfortunate priestess. After several moments, an image formed
of a vast chamber, its striated stone walls moulded and solidified
in the midst of oozing by whatever dark god had created it. Its
glassy black floor and the evil designs on its walls told him that
it was close to the surface of the Underworld, most probably used
as a torture chamber for humans, who would not survive in the
searing heat and noxious fumes of the dark realm’s deeper caverns.
In chambers such as this, dark gods watched their minions torment
people, and evidently the demons had continued to practice their
depravities.

Dozens of
demons, some in man form, bent or crouched over writhing victims,
most of whom were women and children, their faces twisted with
terror and pain, mouths open in soundless screams. A lot of them
were naked, while a few still wore dirty rags. Rotting corpses and
skeletons were piled against the far side of the chamber, and four
torches on the walls lighted the scene with garish radiance. A
brown trickle down a crumbling wall fed a pool of black water that
he did not doubt was too foul to drink, although the prisoners
would be forced to do so if they lived long enough.

The priestess
he had seen in Tryne’s memory struggled in the grip of the same two
thugs, one of whom burnt her neck with fiery fingers as he caressed
her like a lover, grinning. The other demon ripped her robe apart
with slow deliberation, while she appeared to be shouting at them,
her face twisted with hatred and rage. She certainly had a lot of
pluck for a priestess, Bane mused. Under the old-fashioned robe,
she wore a white trouser suit and flat-heeled boots, an odd garb
for a priestess, but then, nothing about this domain or its people
was quite as it should be. Bane waved the Eye out of existence
before Mirra caught more than a glimpse of the scene in it.

Tryne returned
to stand in front of Bane and tilted his head, his expression
enquiring. “Will you help them, Lord?”

“All of them? I
thought you only wanted to save the priestess?”

“I was not
aware of the others. I ask that you save them all.”

Bane grunted.
“Big favour. That lot will fight to keep their victims.”

“Against you,
Lord?”

“Perhaps. They
went to a lot of trouble to capture those people, luring them into
traps or abducting them off the streets and transporting them to
that abandoned house. They will not be pleased to lose them, and
they know I am unlikely to destroy them. It is far easier to
dismiss them. I have been attacked by demons before, although they
were under the command of a dark god. For all we know, these could
be, too, though. Tolrar and Scryon’s commands have not lost their
potency simply because they are cast down, any more than mine do
when I cast out the darkness. Rescuing the priestess would be easy,
but saving all of them will take time, since I cannot Move that
many simultaneously, and once I start the demons will try to kill
those I have to leave behind.”

Tryne lowered
his eyes. “I ask that you save as many as you can, Lord.”

Bane nodded,
and the angel turned and stepped into the air. Mirra met his eyes
with an anguished gaze.