Demon Lord IV - Lord of Shadows (17 page)

"You care for
him, not so?"

Shevra nodded.
"I suppose that's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

"Yes, although
I do not think his wife has noticed yet. But she will, if you are
not careful."

"He loves her.
Did you see the way he looked at her?"

Tarris nodded
and walked down the corridor. "Yes. And I think if you care too
much for him, he will break your heart."

Shevra fell
into step beside her. "Unless I can make him love me."

Tarris glanced
at her. "You have grand aspirations, do you not?"

"If you don't
try, you'll never succeed. My father taught me that."

"Some things
should not be attempted."

Shevra sighed.
"You care for him too."

"Foolishly, I
suppose. He hardly notices me either, but then, why should he? I
would not dare to aspire to be anything more than his friend, but
even that I fear is unlikely."

Shevra paused
to gaze out of a window at the sunlit garden. "Then I'm a far
greater fool than you. I don't know why I stayed or what I
expected, but clearly I don't belong here."

"Where will
you go?"

"There must be
a place for refugees in the city."

"Mostly they
are taken in by residents, some live in camps."

Shevra nodded.
"Then I'll go to a camp. While he was here, I had a reason to stay,
to tend to him, or so I thought, but he clearly doesn't need
tending. And he has a wife. I wasn't expecting that. He looks so
young. I should leave. He doesn't care where I go, or even that I'm
alive."

"He saved
you."

"Not
specifically. I don't know why he came to my town and saved those
who were left, and when we prayed he came because we were
irritating him, I think. The last time, I just happened to be
there. I was not the only one he saved, on any of those occasions.
After he saved my town, or what was left of it, I wanted to find
him again, to thank him, and to get to know him. A foolish notion.
Now he's gone to save our goddess. A man with that much power has
no interest in someone like me."

"You are as
worthy as anyone."

Shevra snorted
and turned to face Tarris. "Let's face it; I don't want to be his
friend any more than you do. You know what we both want, and I'm
not afraid to name it. But it's hopeless, I realise that now. He
loves his wife."

"Which proves
that he is capable of loving a mortal. Perhaps you should follow
your feelings. You might succeed in sparking a flame of passion in
him. He is, after all, a man."

"A married
man. He'll probably laugh at me, or be angry."

"That depends.
If you approach him as a coy maiden, he might. But if you use your
talent..."

"A true fire
dance?" Shevra looked intrigued and afraid of the notion. "I've
never attempted one. It requires a great deal of passion, and
allure."

"You have that
in abundance, and you are very beautiful."

"Beauty isn't
everything. You have more power."

"Power is not
attractive to men." Tarris sighed. "If I was you, I would do it.
What harm can it do?"

"He might be
angry, and his wife certainly will."

"I have heard
that there is nothing more alluring than a true fire dance."

Shevra looked
dreamy, gazing into space. "It would be wonderful... Even if it was
a brief interlude. His wife may not even find out. He has the power
to conceal whatever he wishes from her."

"Then do it.
Try."

"But you love
him too..."

Tarris
grimaced. "I have no chance, I know it. I am content to love him
from afar. I have neither the charms, nor the courage." She looked
sad. "I will help you."

"But how? We
don't know where he is."

"But we know
how to bring him to us."

"Perhaps."

Tarris held
out her hand. "Come, let us prepare."

Bane
reappeared outside a massive temple built of black stone, which was
taller than it was wide, some legacy from Vorkon's past, he
assumed. The rough rock was liberally streaked with gold and dotted
with uncut gemstones, as if Vorkon had used his store of treasure
to create it, which, Bane mused, he probably had. There was no
other dark temple in evidence, indicating that the people of
Draynon had not worshipped the darkness before Vorkon rose. That
meant that they were mostly converts, former worshippers of
Drayshina, or perhaps atheists, like the people of Ishkarad. Since
he had risen fifty seven years ago, a great deal depended on when
he had come to this city, for those who had been born here since
then would belong to him utterly.

No people were
about, which did not surprise Bane, and he headed for the temple
door, Kayos a step behind him. Within its dark confines, a Source
spewed power forth in a fountain of shadow, its chilling touch
raising the hairs on Bane's nape. Kayos became outlined in a nimbus
of blue light, which brightened as he neared the Source. Demons
shrank into the nooks and crannies within the temple, whose walls
were covered with glowing arcane symbols and runes.

Bane headed
for a door at the back, since there was no sign of a pit in the
first room. As he started to step through it, a cold tingle warned
him, and he leapt back as a sharpened steel door slammed down.

He glanced at
Kayos. "Apparently he was afraid that I would steal Drayshina while
he was away."

"So it would
seem. Doubtless there will be more traps inside."

Bane looked
back at the earth demons that hid in the shadows, then up at the
plethora of tiny flames floating just under the roof. They must
have been left to guard Drayshina, and that meant that he would
have a battle on his hands before he reached her, unless he
dismissed them first. He had not considered that Vorkon might
protect his prize with demons, which seemed foolish in retrospect.
That they had not attacked yet was testament to their fear of him.
Possibly they had hoped that the door would kill him, or Vorkon had
instructed them to attack only if he entered Drayshina's
prison.

Bane could
dismiss these, but Vorkon would send others to replace them. It
would have been better if they could have waited until all seven
wards were in place before coming here to free Drayshina. These
demons would still have been here, however, and then he would not
have been able to dismiss them, since they would be trapped above
the wards. So many demons were a danger to him. A well-aimed spear
could end his life while he was distracted, as had almost happened
in the Overworld during his first battle with Arkonen.

"What is it?"
Kayos asked, following his gaze.

"We will have
a battle before we reach her, even if I dismiss these. Vorkon will
send more."

Kayos frowned.
"Of course, it could not be so easy. Can you dismiss so many?"

"We are about
to find out. But once I have dismissed them, we will have to move
fast, for they will inform Vorkon, who might send Jishka to take
Drayshina away, perhaps to kill her. They can still communicate
through demons."

The Grey God
glanced at the hovering flames again. "Why do I feel like we have
just walked into a hornet's nest?"

"When dealing
with the darkness, always expect the worst."

Kayos nodded,
and Bane turned his gaze upon the demons again, wondering how many
more traps Vorkon had set for him. He raised a hand and made a
sweeping gesture of dismissal.

"Begone!"

Half the
hovering flames winked out, and a number of earth demons slumped
into mounds of dark soil. He gestured at the remainder before they
could react.

"Begone!"

The rest of
the flames vanished, and most of the earth demons collapsed,
leaving only a few, who quit their hiding places and rushed at him.
He gestured again.

"Begone!"

They fell,
their speed scattering their soil, and Bane turned to the door and
Moved. He reappeared in a vast chamber lighted by glowing cracks in
the floor, and dark shapes rushed at him from all sides. He raised
his arms, and black fire surged from him in a rush of shadow,
incinerating all that it touched. Dark creatures howled as they
perished, earth demons flew apart and fire demons were extinguished
in flashes of flame. Bane turned, scanning the room, and stepped
towards the pit. Blades shot up from the floor, one slicing into
his foot. He hissed and jerked his injured appendage free as Kayos
appeared beside him, a shimmering shield in hand. He glanced
around, then eyed Bane with concern.

"Are you all
right?"

"No," Bane
said as he limped towards the pit, leaving bloody footprints. Kayos
followed, his shield ready. As they reached the edge of the pit,
thick steel bars shot from the sides, barring entry. Bane smiled at
the futile bid to stop him, thinking that these traps could not be
meant for him; they were far too easy to bypass. Drayshina lay in
the arms of the flesh beast at the bottom of the pit, apparently
asleep. Bane Moved to her side and glanced around. Flames burnt in
niches at the base of the wall, providing gateways for fire demons.
He touched the flesh beast, starting to draw off the dark power
that held it together. A black, scaly head nearby opened dull eyes
and raked him with a baleful glance. Its leathery lips parted, and
it spoke a single word.

A sharp crack
rang out, and a surge of dark power chilled Bane. A storm of
twisted spears shot from the walls, filling the air with a
high-pitched whistling. One impaled his arm and spun him around,
sending him sprawling. Another hit him as he spun, slicing open his
chest in a long gash. Bane flung up a curving shield with a gesture
of his uninjured arm. Dozens of spears skittered off it, whistling
away to strike the walls or impale the flesh beast, which writhed
and howled with many voices. Earth demons shot up from the floor
and flung themselves at him, pounding his shield with massive stone
fists. Fire demons stepped from the flames and entered the fray
with incandescent eyes.

The spear
storm gouged great chunks from the earth demons' gritty substance
and punched holes in the fire demons, making their flames swirl and
dim. The suddenness and intensity of the attack stunned Bane. Pain
flared in his arm and chest as he poured more power into his shield
until red sparkles swirled within it. The demons pounded, tore and
ripped at it, locked together in a wall of earth and fire, their
blows crushing him to the floor.

Bane sensed
dark magic in the rock beneath him, powering the trap that kept him
pinned under his shield, and something else. For a moment eluded
him, then he realised that an illusion covered the floor.
Unleashing a wave of dark power, he destroyed the demons and the
illusion. Hundreds of glowing runes became visible, etched into the
floor and walls. They formed the trap into which he had stepped so
blithely, which the flesh beast's word had triggered. More demons
entered the pit to replace those whom he had just destroyed,
renewing their attack upon him.

"Bane! Get out
of there!"

Kayos leant
over the edge of the pit, his face filled with dismay and concern.
The earth demons beat on Bane's shield, sinking down in defeat as
the spears tore them apart. The heavy spear in his left arm weighed
him down, sending shafts of pain up it when he tried to move. His
blood burnt as he drew power from his bones to fuel the shield that
protected him from the demons' deadly assault. They pounded and
tore at it, but could make no impression. Vorkon had intended that
the initial barrage would wound Bane so badly that he would have
either died or been unable to defend himself, in which case the
demons would have stamped out his life in moments. They had no
choice but to do as they had been commanded, even though it cost
them their existence.

Bane
considered Moving, which would be difficult while he held a shield,
but not impossible. The dark power that powered the trap could not
be commanded again, but the runes could be obliterated. He turned
his attention to the floor, groaning as he tried to move his left
hand, his right occupied with holding up the shield.

The pit filled
with the stench of sulphur as the demons were vanquished, forming a
low mound of soil around him. The agony made sweat dew his brow,
and he closed his eyes and reached out with his mind to command the
earth. The runes warped, their chiselled lines fading. The black
fire that they commanded began to lose its purpose, and the spear
storm lessened, the missiles becoming smaller and less
forceful.

The demons
redoubled their attack, crowding around him to punch, kick and claw
at his shield. Bane unleashed another wave of power, annihilating
them, but more rose from the floor and stepped from the flames.
Only a few malformed missiles now flew from the walls with little
force, striking the opposite wall with dull clangs. Kayos appeared
at his side and beat off the demons with a shining shield in each
hand, and they crumbled or darkened at his touch. A spear struck
him in the shoulder with enough force to spin him around, and he
staggered, but continued to hammer at the demons.

The Demon Lord
unleashed another surge of shadow, destroying the demons once more.
A flare of blue fire engulfed Kayos, who reeled a little as a
second flash came from Drayshina. Bane released his shield and
groped for the spear in his arm, drawing back his lips in a snarl.
The weapon was too firmly embedded for him to pull free, and he
growled in frustration as the pain stopped him.

Kayos knelt
beside him, and shining shields shot up around them as more earth
and fire demons entered the pit. Bane struggled to rise, but the
spear tore at his arm, holding him down. The Grey God gripped the
shaft and pulled it out with a powerful yank that sent it shooting
across the pit. Bane groaned, biting his lip. He flopped onto his
back, unconsciousness threatening to engulf him.