Demon Lord VII - Dark Domain (8 page)

Sarjan stared
at the blood on Bane’s face. “You really are...”

“Mortal?” Bane
snorted. “Yes, Sarjan, and I do not usually indulge in fist fights
with damned droges. It is much easier to rescind their forms or
burn them.”

“You tore his
arm off...”

“Are you going
to put the shackles on him before he recovers?”

Sarjan’s eyes
flicked down to the droge. “But surely...?”

“He will wake
up in a few minutes, and his head will reform.”

The commander
gave the order, and the remaining soldiers approached the droge
with some reluctance and obvious distaste, one carrying the
manacles they had brought. When the droge’s remaining arm was
shackled to his waist, the soldiers dragged him away.

Sarjan turned
to Bane. “I’m sorry... you were hurt. Thank you for capturing him.
I could take you to the hospital for treatment.”

“Tend to your
injured men. I need no help from you.”

Some of the
crewmen came forward to assist the injured soldiers while one keyed
a communications device, summoning medical personnel. Bane left the
recreation room, Sarjan following.

As they walked
along the corridor, Bane said, “Take the ship out of the city, to a
wooded area, or fields, somewhere not crowded with people. There
you will wait for me. I must meet my informant to find out if he
has found the other two dark gods.”

“You have an
informant? A man?”

“No, a demon,
or, as you like to call them, a fiend. Do not worry, he is under my
command.”

Sarjan nodded.
“Right.”

“And Sarjan, if
you try to get me into your shredder room, you will regret it,
understand?”

“Yes... I
won’t.”

Bane signalled
to Kayos, who enveloped him in his light shield once more. Sarjan
swung around in search of him, then trotted away towards the
bridge.

Kayos eyed Bane
with a sigh. “That was foolish.”

“I did not know
he had a weapon.”

“You should
stop trying to convince these dolts that you are good. It will not
work.”

“It might.”

Kayos placed
his hand on Bane’s cheek, healing the cut in a flash of golden
power. “It is far easier for you to convince women. They find you
irresistible.”

Bane avoided
Kayos’ amused gaze, discomfited. “Let us find somewhere to
rest.”

Kayos chuckled
as Bane marched off, following him to an empty mess hall where they
could seal the doors and relax on their couches for a while.

Sherinias
smiled and jumped up when Drevarin arrived outside her birthing
chamber. He inclined his head, awaiting her permission to enter,
and she approached the entrance. He walked in as the wards
flickered, returning her smile.

“It is good to
see you, Lord Drevarin.”

“I thought I
would keep you company, My Lady.”

“My father and
brother have succeeded in casting down one of the dark ones, with
the aid of my people. They are clever indeed.”

Drevarin went
over to her cloud couch and formed his own beside it with a wave of
his hand. “I know. I have been watching them too.”

“Perhaps Lord
Bane will not have to fight any of them, and thus be spared the
hardship and pain.”

“Let us hope
so.”

Sherinias sank
down on her couch, her eyes sparkling with excitement tinged with
anxiety. “I do, Lord Drevarin, most fervently.”

“Do not concern
yourself unduly, My Lady. Bane is well able to deal with these dark
gods.”

“I am certain
of that, but he may not escape injury.”

“That is
true.”

Sherinias
gasped, and her eyes became vacant for a moment before filling with
dread. “My Lord, the Oracle warns me that a dark god has just
entered the light realm.”

Drevarin
frowned. “It could be Bane.”

“What if it is
not?”

“Then you must
call your father.”

“That will put
him in danger too.”

“He will bring
Bane with him if he thinks you are in peril.”

She shook her
head. “Then he will have to fight.”

“That cannot be
helped.”

“We must flee.
You can take me to my father.”

“No. Bane
wishes to do battle here, not in the mid realm.”

Sherinias
rubbed her arms and stared out through the wards with deep
trepidation. Drevarin longed to comfort her, but, unless she
invited such familiarity on his part, protocol forbade it. Instead,
he gazed at the rolling, misty landscape outside the door, hoping
that it would be Bane who appeared. Several tense minutes passed,
then he cursed himself for a fool and waved an Eye into being,
seeking Bane within it. An image formed of an empty, dimly lighted
room on a ship like Nikira’s.

Drevarin said,
“It is not Bane.”

Sherinias cast
him a terrified look. “I must call Father.”

“No, wait. The
dark god may not find you, and we are safe in here for now. He will
not be able to destroy these wards easily. It will take him a
while.”

She rose and
joined him on his couch, slipping her hand into his. “I am glad you
are here, Lord Drevarin.”

He patted her
hand. “So am I. We will be all right. Bane will protect us.”

“It is strange
that we rely upon a dark god to rescue us.”

“Yes. Now I
understand even better why tar’merin are accorded such reverence. I
always knew they were the stuff of legends, but knowing one has
made me appreciate him all the more. My parents taught me about the
ones who have gone before. They spoke of them in hushed tones, yet
none of the previous four were mortal. And since Bane is Kayos’
son, he is undoubtedly the most powerful ever, although he has yet
to reach his full potential. Would you like me to tell you about
the first four?”

At her nod, he
recounted the story of the first tar’merin in soft, soothing tones
to calm and distract her, making her gaze at him instead of the
doorway, her curiosity aroused. Tense minutes crawled past like
hours as he concentrated on telling the story instead of pondering
what might lie ahead. He had almost completed the tale when a flash
of blue light outside made him look up. Sherinias gasped and
gripped his hand as a black-clad stranger appeared outside the
door.

The dark god
wore a thigh-length tunic trimmed with silver on its hem, collar
and cuffs, matching trousers and an ornate, silver-patterned belt.
Long, iron-grey hair framed a chiselled, almost inhumanly perfect
countenance with cold black eyes that glittered with triumph. A
grey moustache and goatee framed a thin-lipped mouth twisted in a
contemptuous sneer.

“Well, well,
what have we here?” he mocked. “Two little lambs cowering in a
birth tub. You must be the one who woke up our little sleeping
goddess. How good of you.”

The dark god
stepped closer and gripped the lintel, thrusting his face so close
to the wards that they flared. “Now she can be my slave, and you, I
think, will serve my lovely Jerriss. She will enjoy torturing you,
and so will I, since we do not need you to keep this domain alive.”
He nodded. “Yes, much fun to be had. The only question now is: are
you going to cower in there and make me destroy this chamber, or
are you going to flee, so I can chase you? The second option would
be preferred, since you will have to flee eventually anyway. Do it
now, and save me the trouble of destroying this pathetic remnant of
a birth tub, or I will punish you when I catch you. And I will
catch you.” He turned his head. “Come to me, Shalanar.”

A black circle
appeared on the ground behind him, rimmed with blue fire, and
expanded rapidly, the diamond sand hissing. An earth demon shot up
from its centre, formed from the blackened sand, and pushed forth a
pair of glinting eyes.

It bowed.
“Lord.”

“Tell Jerriss
that I have found them, and she must guard the gate until I have
captured them. Go.” The demon sank back into the ground, and the
dark god faced Drevarin again. “So, what is it going to be?”

Drevarin glared
at him with all the venom he could summon up. Sherinias clung to
him with trembling arms and buried her face in the side of his
neck.

The dark god
smirked. “Ah, but I am rude; I have not introduced myself. I am
Tolrar, Lord of Darkness.”

“How conceited
of you, to claim lordship over all the darkness,” Drevarin
said.

“Why should I
not? It obeys me. Do you also have a name, or should I just call
you ‘lackwit’?”

“I am Drevarin,
and I claim no more notoriety than is my right.”

“And your
sweet, powerless child?”

“Lady
Sherinias, ruler of this domain, and she is not my child.”

Tolrar grinned,
revealing perfect white teeth. “Excellent, then we have another to
capture. The game will be fine. So, have you decided yet what you
will do, or are you too afraid to think?”

“We will remain
here.”

Tolrar’s smile
faded. “A foolish choice. You will pay for it, I promise.” His eyes
took on a cunning glint. “Give me the child, and I will let you
flee out of the realm gate. She is the one I really want.”

Sherinias
shuddered and clutched Drevarin more tightly. He shook his head.
“No.”

“Another
foolish choice,” Tolrar remarked. “No matter, we have two flesh
beasts prepared for you. But you anger me.” He scowled and struck
the lintel with his fists, making the chamber shudder. “Flee!”

“No.”

Tolrar swung
away, walked off a few steps and turned back to face them. “See, I
will even give you a chance to pass me. Come out, and we will have
a grand chase. Stay in there, and you are trapped. If you make me
come in there after you, I will not give you another chance to
flee.”

Drevarin shook
his head again, and Tolrar’s face twisted with fury, his eyes
glittering. Raising his hands, he struck the lintel with twin bolts
of darkness, and the intense flash of blue light that accompanied
them forced Drevarin to squint.

Sherinias gave
a soft shriek and cried, “Father, save me! Help me! Kayos!”

Drevarin held
her, his gut clenched. Tolrar struck the lintel with bolt after
bolt of shadow, filling the chamber with blue brilliance as the
white power warred with the dark. Drevarin fought an overwhelming
urge to escape and clung to his resolve. Several runes on the walls
lighted as the chamber’s defences activated, but all they could do
now was strengthen it. The power to strike back had gone with the
deactivation of the inner wards, which could not be reactivated
while he and Sherinias remained within it.

Drevarin sent
the doors swinging closed with a flick of his mind, and they sealed
with a pearly flash. They added only a little to the chamber’s
strength, but they blocked the blue light and the fearsome sight of
the dark god who hammered upon the base of the wards.

Sherinias
looked up at him, her eyes filled with terror. “How long
before...?”

“That depends
on how powerful he is. A day, at least.” He stroked her hair.
“Kayos is coming, do not fret.”

Chapter
Four

Beast God

Kayos sat up
with a frown, his demeanour tense.

Bane eyed him.
“What is it?”

“Sherinias
calls me.”

Bane raised his
brows. “How can she?”

“She is a
child. Until she is mature, she has the ability to signal her
danger by calling the name of her parent.” He summoned an Eye, and
Bane rose and moved behind him to share it. Kayos frowned at the
black-clad stranger in the Eye, who looked up and grinned savagely
as he sensed it.

“A dark god, of
course,” Kayos muttered.

“I will
go.”

“No. Wait, let
us consider this.”

“She will be
terrified.”

Kayos refocused
the Eye inside the chamber. “Drevarin is with her.”

“Then they are
both in danger.”

“But he will
comfort her.” Kayos looked thoughtful. “This is happening far
sooner than I hoped, but now we have an advantage they do not know
about; apart from you, of course: this ship. If he could be lured
into that shredder chamber, he would be defeated as easily as the
first.”

“But how? If I
take hold of him and Move him in there, they will stun us both, and
kill me.”

“I would not
let them.”

“If you go in
there they will stun you too,” Bane said.

“Not if I am
invisible, and I pick you up and Move straight away.”

“No, probably
not, but I would be unconscious for many hours, and there would
still be a dark goddess on the loose.”

“She is
probably not much of a threat, but you are right, I do not want you
harmed. I shall do it.”

“You cannot
allow a dark god to take hold of you,” Bane said. “He might decide
to kill you.”

“I will not
allow him to touch me. I will not have to. He will follow me. I
will Move out of the shredder room immediately, and he will arrive
a moment later. I will be in no danger from the mortals. They will
not see me and their weapons cannot harm me. You will be waiting
outside, instructing them, ensuring it is done right. If anything
goes wrong, you can protect me.”

“I do not like
it.”

“You do not
have to,” Kayos said. “I can defend myself, as you well know.”

“It is too
dangerous. Dark gods are cunning. Do not imagine that he will fall
for it so easily. If it is Tolrar, he may summon his mate, who
could creep up on you invisible and take hold of you. She might
even be with him now. He knows there is another light god in this
domain now. He sensed your Eye. They could set a trap.”

Kayos dismissed
the Eye, rose and paced in a circle, his head bowed. “I have
thought of that. I will not give him time to summon his mate, and
if she is there and takes hold of me, I will Move her into the
chamber.”

“And you will
be stunned.”