Demon Lord IV - Lord of Shadows (27 page)

"Come with
me."

Outside, Bane
turned to face the man again.

"Who are you?"
the woodcutter demanded, recovering a little of his aplomb. "What
do you want? Are you a black mage?"

"No." Bane
shook his head. "I am a dark god."

The man
stepped back, raising his hands in a warding gesture. "I've done
nothing to earn the wrath of a dark god!"

"Stand
still."

The man shook
with fright, whimpering, "I've done nothing."

"You beat your
children."

"I'll
stop!"

"Yes, you
will."

The woodcutter
looked puzzled. "Why would that displease you?"

"I have no
time to explain it to you." Bane wrote a dark rune in the air.

The man shook
his head. "No, please..."

"I curse you,"
Bane intoned, and rammed the shadow rune into the woodcutter's
chest.

The man
doubled over and vomited, falling to his knees and clutching his
gut. After several minutes of painful retching the sickness passed,
and he looked up at Bane.

"What have you
done to me?"

"From this day
forth, if any wine, spirits or ale passes your lips, you will be
ill."

"But why?"

Bane turned
away. "It opens you to evil."

"But you're
evil!"

The Demon Lord
made himself invisible again and turned to Syrin. "Satisfied?"

"Indeed, My
Lord. Is violence your answer to everything?"

"You have a
better idea?"

"A Geas would
have sufficed. One that removed his wish to drink ale. Now you have
made him sober, but exceedingly unhappy, for he will still crave
it."

Bane glanced
at the man, who stood with bowed shoulders, staring at the ground
as he contemplated a future without ale. Five dirty children peered
from the doorway, hope in their eyes, and thankfulness shone in the
girl's. Her father had not yet noticed that his chest now bore a
reddish scar shaped like an upside down A with a broken
crosspiece.

The Demon Lord
turned to Syrin. "A geas is more complex and tiresome. If you ask
for my help, then you will have to accept the consequences, Syrin.
Let his unhappiness be on your conscience."

Bane spun away
with a swirl of his cloak and Moved, eager to return to the city
and cast out the dark power. When he reappeared in the glade, he
found that Kayos and Drayshina had left, and Syrin did not follow
him. Glad of the solitude, Bane spread his hands and let the
shadows pour from his fingers.

Chapter Fourteen

Rebirth

Kayos gazed at
the young god who sat with his back against a fallen tree on the
edge of a dead forest, staring into the distance. Mirra sat beside
him, reading aloud from a book. No aura of dark power surrounded
him now, and its lack had robbed him of some of the unnatural
perfection that it bestowed, allowing his skin to acquire a golden
tan. Five weeks had passed since Bane had vanished after completing
Syrin's task, and Kayos had left him to spend time with Mirra, but
for the last two days he had been trying to find him. Clearly the
Demon Lord did not wish to be found, and his shields still blocked
Kayos' Eye. Syrin had found him, and the Grey God now owed her
another favour. Mirra fell silent as Kayos approached, and Bane's
eyes focused on light god who stopped before him.

"I need more
time."

"I know. And
you shall have it."

"Then why have
you sought me out?"

Kayos sat down
on the log. "Drayshina craves your company."

"For what? Are
you her messenger now?"

"No. She
wishes to show you something, and I think you should see it."

"How did you
find me?"

"Syrin."

"Of course."
Bane sighed. "What does Drayshina want to show me?"

"It is a
surprise, but I think you will enjoy it. She has been preparing for
it for some time now, and I urge you to accept her invitation."

"And if I do
not?"

"Then you will
miss something truly wonderful."

Bane eyed him.
"All right, I am intrigued."

Kayos stood
up. "Good. Let us go, then."

The Demon Lord
stood and stretched, helping Mirra to her feet, and she tucked away
the little book. Kayos placed his hand on Bane's shoulder, and,
before he could protest, swirling light engulfed them. As it faded,
Bane glared at him.

"I would
rather have walked."

"That would
have taken several months, and Drayshina cannot wait that
long."

The Demon Lord
looked around as Mirra gasped. They stood atop a hillock in a vast
meadow so green that it hurt his eyes. Not far off to one side was
an emerald sea, where gentle waves lapped at a white sand beach. A
belt of dead forest bordered the grassland in the distance, a
blanket of bright saplings furring its floor.

Warm sunlight
shone from a clear blue sky, and Bane sensed an intense fecundity
imbuing the land, so powerful and benign that it made his heart
swell with its goodness. Tension filled the air, along with a deep,
all-encompassing sense of waiting that burgeoned with sweet power.
Bane's eyes swept over the land and came to rest upon another
hillock nearby, shaped like a giant green throne and covered with
lush grass. Drayshina lay upon it, her arms outstretched and her
eyes closed, a smile curving her lips.

"Vorkon's
power slew all living things, apart from those that sheltered
within the cities' fire walls." Kayos' voice drew Bane's attention
to him. "But that did not include her most precious creations; the
wild creatures."

Bane gazed at
the goddess again, and Kayos continued, "You are about to witness
the recreation of all that was lost. The lesser souls await
rebirth. They are the eyes and ears of the gods, through which we
enjoy our domains."

"They suffer
at the hands of men."

"Yes. And we
share their pain. Those who hurt them pay. Some kill to survive,
and for those there is no punishment, but we mourn every death and
rejoice at each birth. Thus the balance is kept. Only those who
suffer and die needlessly are avenged."

"How?"

"Those who do
such terrible things are tainted, which is why they have no pity.
You know well the dark power's influence." Kayos paused, looking
pensive. "Some realise this before they die, and are redeemed, but
will be reborn to hardship and suffering. Others will be allowed to
fall."

"Drayshina
must have suffered when they all died."

Kayos nodded.
"Indeed. I know all too well the sensation, and it is terrible. It
weakens us and fills us with sorrow."

Bane's gaze
wandered to several translucent figures standing some distance
away. "Who are they?"

"The lesser
gods who survived Vorkon's reign."

Bane studied
the strange beings. A huge grey wolf with glowing yellow eyes, a
golden stag, a mighty grey stallion, a black cat and a green man
with leaves instead of hair.

"Vorkon
destroyed five," Kayos explained. "He hunted them merely for sport,
as evil does. The wolf, Dra'mel, saved a child from drowning in a
flooded river, then kept her warm until her parents found her,
whereupon they slew him. Now he is the guardian of all those who
become lost in the forest.

"The stag is
Mra'tesh, who brought his herd to a starving village in the middle
of a harsh winter, and all were slain to feed the people, saving
them. He is now protector of the wild herds, and all who slay deer
must thank him for their sacrifice. The stallion is Vrindal,
saviour of King Angesh, who rode him to death to escape his
enemies."

"But surely
-"

"That happens
all the time, yes. But in Vrindal's case Drayshina intervened.
Vrindal was a wild stallion, not a slave to man, and he came to the
King's aid at Drayshina's behest. He is now the protector of
horses, and is often seen when a horse is made to suffer. His
legend lives on amongst King Angesh's people, who have raised
statues and churches in honour of him."

Bane gazed at
the lesser gods, intrigued. "And the cat?"

Kayos
chuckled. "What heroic feat, you may well ask, could a cat perform?
Yet he saved a princess from evil. She was easily influenced by the
dark power, and it started to take hold of her. It would have been
disastrous for her people to have been ruled by an evil queen.

"Evil hates
cats. They have the power to disperse it. Korron wandered in from
the cold and took up residence in the princess' rooms. He slept
upon her bed each night and kept her safe for eighteen years, until
he died. By then, she was strong enough to ward it off
herself."

"Did he know
what he did?"

"Yes, they
always do. He was not welcome in her castle. Had she known of his
presence, the princess would have chased him away. He had a harsh
life, living by his wits to protect her. After he died, the
princess had terrible dreams as the dark power sought to invade
her, and he came to her in her dreams to comfort her. Only then did
she learn of what he had done. After that, cats became sacred in
her kingdom."

"And the
man?"

Kayos nodded.
"Mardon. A truly good soul. He was a trapper's son, and grew up
surrounded by the suffering and depravity that such men inflict
upon beasts. He hated it, and dedicated his life to helping the
lesser creatures of this world. He sought out places where the
beasts were made to suffer terribly, and tried to stop it. He saved
many. He found the injured and nursed them back to health, rescued
them from traps and hunters.

"He preached
kindness and compassion in cities and villages, and an angry mob
stoned him to death when he was only twenty-five. At the moment of
his death, Drayshina blessed him and bestowed godhood upon him, and
those who had killed him witnessed him rise from his mortal remains
in the form that you see him in now. He continues to save the
beasts, and now no one can harm him, but, as a lesser god, he is
voiceless. He is known as the Protector of the Beasts."

"And the five
who perished?"

Kayos sighed,
gazing at Drayshina. "Shendra, also known as the Weeping Lady. She
saved seventeen children from a burning orphanage, running into the
flames to carry them out even when she was terribly burnt. She
perished trying to save the last one. She used to appear whenever a
child was harmed and weep for them.

"Inkara, who
gave her life to save a forest earmarked for destruction. When the
woodcutters came, she begged them to spare the forest, to only take
some of the trees, but they laughed at her. She threw herself in
front of the first axe to fall, and was slain, begging Drayshina to
intervene. Such was her plea and sacrifice that Drayshina animated
the trees to drive the men away, which caused the foolish men to
believe that the forest was haunted. Vorkon destroyed the forest
and Inkara. The other three were friends of Drayshina, two
priestesses and a simple housewife who became dear to her."

Bane was
struck by the lesser gods’ eerie silence and the studied torpor
with which they moved. "They are all voiceless."

"Yes. They are
the least of the gods, no more than ghosts with the ability to
become visible."

"All spirits
trapped in the mid realm have the ability to become visible
briefly, so why call them gods if they have no power?"

"They have
powers. Dra'mel has the power to leave tracks in this world, which
a true ghost cannot. Mra'tesh can strike a blow that shakes the
earth when he is enraged, and Vrindal can enter a man's dreams and
turn them into nightmares. Korron still has the power to disperse
evil, which other spirits cannot, and Mardon's touch heals beasts.
Shendra's tears had the power to redeem, and Inkara's presence made
trees flourish. One of the priestesses had the power to bring
light, the other to lift curses with the speaking of her name."

Bane's brows
shot up, and he glanced at Kayos, who smiled and added, "Not the
curse of a dark god, of course."

"And the
housewife?"

"Her name was
used to bless food, and would neutralise any poison. She would also
appear as a warning that someone was about to be poisoned."

The Demon Lord
turned his attention to Drayshina again as a pearly light began to
pour from her hands, soaking into the earth.

"She begins,"
Kayos murmured.

The light
intensified until it was almost blinding, and a glowing conduit
formed above Drayshina, linking her to the light realm as she drew
power from it. Her skin and clothes glowed and glimmered as it
suffused her, and rainbows appeared all around her in a temple of
glorious radiance. They spread, arching high into the sky and
forming up into shimmering rows in a wondrous spectacle. A faint
mist wreathed amongst them, as if the goddess summoned part of the
light realm down to aid in her task, which was, Bane realised,
exactly what she was doing. Kayos watched Drayshina with a smile
and Mirra’s eyes were wide with wonder, her hand gripping
Bane's.

Bolts of
lightning struck all over the meadow in a crackling barrage that
filled the air and sizzling power. Thunder made the ground shudder.
Drayshina's eyes opened, aglow with sparkles of light. White fire
poured from her in shining rivers, and the greenness intensified,
invading the air. Her lips parted, and a sweet, wordless song swept
out across the land in a pure, rising cadence of notes that
multiplied until it seemed that a choir of angels sang. A movement
caught Bane's eye, and he glanced around. Syrin stood nearby, her
eyes bright, a coy smile curving her lips. Drayshina's song reached
a pinnacle of harmonious melody, and the earth beneath Bane's feet
rippled.

Out in the
meadow, the ground swelled. Thousands of humps arose, heaving as if
something lived within them, and struggled to get out. They grew
into hillocks, and then one tore open. Deer staggered out of it on
wobbly legs, blinking in the sun. They were young adults, streaked
with mud and somewhat dazed. Another mound ripped open, and spotted
cats crawled free, crouched and snarled in confusion. A smaller
hummock disgorged a group of hedgehogs, another opened to free a
flock of iridescent-plumed birds that rose in a bright cloud. A
soft sob made him glance at Mirra, whose cheeks were wet with
tears. He squeezed her hand, and she shot him a smile.