Demon Lord VII - Dark Domain (28 page)

Bane sat back.
“And I will wager you will start a fight with him.” He shook his
head. “I am wasting my time.” He turned to Mirra, “Come, let us go.
These two knuckleheads are too stupid to be of any use to me.”

As he started
to rise, Dramon said, “Wait. We won’t start anything with your foe,
and if we do, you have the right to refuse your aid. Only if he
attacks us will we expect your help.”

Bane sat down
again. “Very well.”

“How will Bane
know whether you started the trouble or not?” Mirra asked.

“They will
remain at my side at all times when we are in Telvaron’s domain,”
Bane said.

Nomard nodded.
“Fair enough.”

“Telvaron,
huh?” Dramon asked. “You’re biting off more than you can chew,
little man.”

“You know
him?”

“We know of
him. He rules a dark domain with the imprisoned light goddess you
wish to save. It’s said that when he’s not tormenting her, he
wanders the God Realm in search of light gods to kill.”

“That will be a
good time to steal his prized goddess, then.”

“Indeed.”

“So, do you
agree to the alliance?” Bane asked.

“We’ll think
about it.”

Bane snorted.
“Just how slow are your thought processes? Perhaps a kick in the
head will help?”

Dramon raised
his brows. “Insults, now?” He banged his empty tankard down and
beckoned to a waiter. “I begin to like you, little man.”

“At the moment,
we are all the same size.”

“But we can get
bigger. A
lot
bigger.”

“So can all
demons, and I can channel enough dark power into you to fry your
few brain cells, or whatever it is you use to think with. It is
certainly not very efficient.”

Nomard threw
back his head and guffawed. Dramon grinned and leant on the table,
extending his hand. “Shake my hand, little god, and we’ll consider
the deal done.”

Nomard studied
Bane with glittering jet eyes. “I’ll wager he doesn’t have the
courage.”

“It is you who
should be wary of shaking my hand,” Bane said.

“And why is
that?” Dramon enquired.

Bane took hold
of Dramon’s hand. “How much do you know about mortal gods?”

The demon gods
swapped yet another glance, and Nomard said, “There aren’t many of
your kind around, except the occasional demigod, and they’re pretty
weak.”

“So you have
never encountered a greater mortal god, then?”

“Nope.” Dramon
glanced at his hand, still gripped in Bane’s. “Are you going to let
go any time soon?”

“Certainly, but
I think a demonstration is in order, just in case you two morons
decide to renege on your oath.” Bane lowered his gaze to Dramon’s
hand, and it turned grey.

The demon god
retrieved it when Bane released it and held it up to study it.
Nomard reached over to tap it.

“Well, bugger
me,” Dramon muttered.

“Neat!” Nomard
said.

Dramon glared
at him. “Neat?”

“Yeah, now you
can use it as a club. Handy.”

“It’s stone,
you idiot. Now I can’t move the damned thing.”

“Here, I’ll
chop it off for you.” Nomard drew a double-bladed battle axe from
inside his shiny suit.

Dramon held his
hand out of reach. “Bugger off.”

Bane quaffed
his ale. “When you two have quite finished….”

Nomard tucked
the axe away, and Dramon turned to Bane. “Okay, we get it. You have
the power to change shit.” He held out his hand. “Change it
back.”

“Your
oath?”

Dramon sighed
and rolled his eyes. “I swear fealty to you, Demon Lord, for the
duration of your quest to free the light goddess Ashynaria. I shall
offer you and yours no harm, and aid you.”

Bane frowned.
“How do you know her name?”

The demon god
shrugged. “We’ve been to that domain, and seen her.”

“What about
your oath?” Nomard demanded.

The Demon Lord
inclined his head. “I swear to aid you, Nomard and Dramon, should
you require it and ask it of me, and will offer you and yours no
harm.”

Nomard nodded
and swore the same oath as Dramon, while his twin brother held out
his hand again. Bane touched it, restoring it to its former
substance, and Dramon flexed it, smiling.

Mirra leant
closer to Bane and asked, “How did you restore it to life?”

“They are not
alive. They are essentially droges, but made up of all the
elements, too.”

“Oh, right. Can
we go now?”

“Of
course.”

The fop in the
silver jacket and leather trousers reeled out of the crowd again
and leant on the table, looming over Mirra. “Hey, gorgeous, wanna
dance?”

Bane shot the
dandy a glare, and he straightened, wide-eyed, and marched off to
collide with another table, sprawling over it into the lap of a
brawny patron who jumped up with a shout of rage and gripped the
offender’s neck, shaking him.

Nomard chuckled
and Dramon grinned.

Bane turned to
them. “Start a demon war in this domain, and our deal is off.”

The twins
looked surprised, and Bane took Mirra’s hand and Moved to their
cabin, helping her to the bed when she paled and clasped her
stomach.

He sat beside
her, holding her hands. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. It was
just… That place was horrible; the music, the people, those awful
demon gods and that wretched man.”

“But most of
all, the sight of me consorting with evil.”

She snatched
her hands away. “Do not read my mind.”

“I did not. I
know how much you hate it when I must deal with minions of the
darkness.”

Mirra sighed
and took his hands again. “I should not have gone. I did not think
it would so vile. It did not look so bad in the Eye, but the smell
and noise….” She shuddered.

“Evil always
seems more innocuous and alluring from afar.”

“Will you cast
out the dark power now?”

“I will do it
soon. If you are all right now, I must go and tell Kayos of my new
alliance, and that the domain is safe from a demon war. It probably
will not prevent its fall, but will certainly slow it down.”

“I am well.
Sherinias will be delighted.”

Bane rose to
his feet and bent to kiss the top of her head. “I shall return
soon.”

Kayos frowned
at Bane across the gazebo, shaking his head. “That is not a wise
plan. It is rife with pitfalls.”

The Demon Lord
reclined on his couch and summoned a cup of ambrosia. Evidently
Sherinias was back in the White City, and Drevarin was in the mess
hall as usual, his presence allowing the refugees to communicate.
“It is a better prospect than leaving them here to start a war, and
I think Drevarin is right about that. Why else would they choose to
let themselves be trapped here instead of going back into the God
Realm? They have already seen the potential to cause havoc with
these unbelievers. Even though they cannot harm Sherinias, she will
not enjoy watching them use her domain as a playground and ruin
it.”

“You cannot
trust them to keep their oath.”

“Of course not,
and neither can they trust me to keep mine.”

Kayos stared
into the gardens, his expression distant. “So, you play the part of
the true dark god.”

“No, I have
told them I am tar’merin.”

“Then that is
the only reason they took your deal. They think you will keep your
side of the bargain. Tar’merin are supposed to be a little more
trustworthy.”

Bane shrugged.
“Not me, when I am dealing with the darkness.”

“I think it is
too risky. They will cause endless trouble aboard the ship. No one
will be safe from their petty pranks and nasty jokes. They have not
sworn to obey you, so you have no control over them. You cannot
even threaten their hounds now, since you swore to do them no harm,
and if you break your oath while they are aboard the ship, they
will retaliate. They do not control those Hellhounds. They will
kill people.”

“You think I
intend to let them stay aboard the ship?” Bane asked. “As soon as
we leave the domain, I shall evict them.”

“How?”

“Easy. I will
banish and summon the hounds, and order them to follow the
ship.”

“That will
work, I suppose,” Kayos admitted. “But there have been far too many
delays, and that is dangerous. They give Telvaron the opportunity
to foresee your arrival, which will make this quest hopeless. It is
unlikely that he will look at the future, since it is so changeable
and hard to discern, and dark gods have little skill at
foretelling, but the closer we get to our goal the more likely it
is that, should he scry the future, he will see you coming and take
measures, just in case. Doubtless he also has bevies of seers, who
might foresee you and warn him to curry favour. Telvaron is
ancient, one of the first dark gods to come into existence. The
ones you have fought thus far are as minnows compared to a shark
when compared to him.”

Kayos paused,
his expression sad. “If you cannot free Ashynaria without risking
your life, we will be forced to abandon her. You are far too
valuable to risk to save a light goddess, no matter who she is.
Your potential cannot be squandered on a hopeless quest. I hope it
does not come to that, but it is pointless to sacrifice a beloved
son to save a beloved granddaughter. Telvaron will destroy you, and
if you fall Ashynaria will probably be lost too. I must ensure your
safety.” His voice softened. “Every so often, a warrior of the
light appears. You are the fifth tar’merin, Bane. The light needs
you.”

Bane frowned at
him. “You would abandon her after all we have been through to reach
her domain?”

“If it is
hopeless, yes. That is why we must use extreme caution when we
reach her domain, and in that regard, Nomard and Dramon will be
liabilities. They are apt to give us away just for the fun of
it.”

“I shall not
give them the chance. I intend to use them as decoys, if Telvaron
is in the domain. I shall send a demon to warn him that his domain
has been invaded by demon gods, and rescue Ashynaria while he is
hunting for them.”

Kayos chuckled.
“That will make you most unpopular with Dramon and Nomard if they
find out.”

“I care
not.”

Kayos sobered.
“You should. They will betray you to Telvaron. Also, they may
choose not to lead him astray if you trick them, and they do not
have to flee, being demon gods.”

Bane sipped his
ambrosia. “Then I shall require it of them, as their oath to help
me dictates.”

“It is still
risky.”

“True, but they
are less likely to betray me if I have not tricked them.”

“It is a flawed
plan,” Kayos said, “do not rely upon it.”

“Then what do
you suggest? We sit outside his domain for years waiting for him to
leave it?”

“No, we steal
Ashynaria without him discovering us.”

“How?”

Kayos lowered
his eyes to his cup. “Use your mortality.”

Bane raised his
eyebrows. “Go there without power?”

“It worked on
Jishka.”

“She was just a
weak dark goddess who was hardly a threat to me.”

“She was more
of a threat to you than Telvaron will be if you do as I say, Bane.
This time you will not be confronting a dark god, or even a weak
dark goddess. All you have to do is reach Ashynaria and Gather
enough power to dismiss her demon guardians and free her from the
duron chains. I will wait at the realm gate, ready to open it as
soon as you Move there with her.”

Bane grunted.
“She will want to kill me.”

“I will send an
angel to warn her of your coming.”

“But if
Telvaron guards her, it will not work at all.”

“He does not
sit watching her constantly.”

“Will he not
detect the gate opening?” Bane asked.

“Not unless he
is standing guard beside it. The Oracle will warn Ashynaria, but I
do not think she will tell him.”

“You do not
think
? Is that not a bit uncertain?”

“Why would she
warn the monster who imprisons and tortures her? Dramon and Nomard
are far more likely to betray us.”

“No, they will
remain with me, or wherever I tell them to wait,” Bane said. “They
know if they betray me I will destroy their hounds. Demon gods lack
the power to summon demon beasts because they have no souls, and
therefore no auras to command the darkness when it comes to
anything that possesses a soul.”

“Then what use
will they be? If they accompany you, Telvaron’s spies will inform
him of their presence, and then he will know that someone has
opened the realm gate.”

“There may well
be spies at the gate, anyway.”

“There were
none when I went there. Telvaron is so powerful he is arrogant. He
did not detect my entry, or exit. If there are spies at the gate
now, you will have to destroy them, as you did at Drayshina’s
domain. I am more concerned about spies in the mid realm. You can
travel unknown as a human, but Dramon and Nomard will give you
away. You cannot use your power until you reach Ashynaria, or
Telvaron will hear of it.”

Bane nodded. “I
know. But humans cannot see Dramon and Nomard when they hide
themselves. Demons may glimpse them, as I did, but the chances of
one of Telvaron’s minions spying them are slim, I would say.
Anyway, we shall see what happens and plan as we go along. Perhaps
I will find no use for them at all, but they will be there should I
require them.”

“They will grow
bored and restless, and make mischief even before we reach
Ashynaria’s domain, mark my words.”

“If they become
too much of a nuisance, I shall cast them out in the God Realm. The
main aim of the deal was to get them out of this domain,
anyway.”

“How will you
cast them out?”

Bane shrugged.
“Send them on a bogus mission, then leave. The ship leaves no trail
for their hounds to follow.”