Demon Lord VI - Son of Chaos (31 page)

Drevarin’s
frown deepened. “Why did you not say something before we came
here?”

“
I did not think of it. A regrettable oversight.”

“
Neither did Kayos or I, so we are as much to blame. We must
find out. I think you should ask a demon. If there are any, will
you destroy them?”

Bane pulled a
face. “No rest for the wicked.”

“
That will be dangerous for you, especially if there is more
than one and they band together. You could be killed.”

“
I might not have to destroy them if they are not too powerful.
I might be able to cast them out of the Realm Gate.”

“
Then they will enter other domains, and enslave light
gods.”

“
You would rather I destroyed them, of course,” Bane
said.

“
I would not ask it of you. It risks your life, which is worth
too much to endanger.”

“
If I do not destroy dark gods, what use am I?”

“
We do not value you only because you can destroy dark gods,
Bane. You can free enslaved gods and trap dark ones in their
realms. But aside from that, you are a noble and powerful god, and
you are my friend. Nothing is worth risking your life.”

Bane sighed,
gazing at the crowd. “If I defeat them, I could set wards to trap
them below, but if they are weak they will avoid me. Then it will
not be easy to confront them. If they are powerful, it will be even
more difficult, and I might lose. There is also the chance that
while I am battling one, another will come after you or Sherinias,
if there is more than one.”

“
We should speak to Kayos, see what he thinks. Perhaps we
should take Sherinias and leave this accursed domain.”

“
That will cause her much distress.”

Drevarin bowed
his head, his expression doleful, then looked up at Bane again. “I
would rather cause her distress than lose you.”

“
I shall rise again.”

“
As a true dark god, yes, but you will lose so many advantages.
I would not ask you to risk your mortality for the sake of these
people, and that is what it boils down to in the end. None of us
are enslaved or in danger. It is only for them and so Sherinias can
keep her domain. I am not sure it is worth the risk.”

Bane smiled
and clasped Drevarin’s shoulder. “Let us find out if there are any
dark gods here before we debate the issue further. Move us
somewhere remote.”

Drevarin
nodded, and warm white light engulfed them. When it faded, they
stood in a narrow belt of cultivated forest, the trees planted in
orderly rows that made Bane frown at its unnatural air. Spreading
his hands, he drew in just enough power for a summoning, and then
spoke the words, followed by a name. Drevarin stepped back as a
black circle formed on the leafy ground, the dead leaves crisping
and smoking as they turned to ash. An earth demon shot up from the
soil, writhing as it took on a man-shaped mud form that lacked the
common three-armed, three-eyed aspect. It towered over eight feet
tall, and bowed to Bane.

“
Lord.”

“
Eslason. I am Bane, the Demon Lord. Assume a man’s
appearance.”

The demon
shrank to the size of a big man, its earthen muscles vanishing
under mundane clothes and skin. It formed a bland, ordinary face
with a thatch of dark hair and pitch-black eyes, the only outward
sign of its true nature.

Bane asked,
“Are there any dark gods in this domain, apart from me?”

“
Yes, Lord.”

“
How powerful are they, and what are their names?”

The demon eyed
him. “There are three. Two are less powerful than average, one is
more. They are Scryon, Shadow Lord, Jerriss, Mistress of Fire, and
Tolrar, Lord of Darkness.”

“
Which is the most powerful?”

“
Tolrar.”

“
Where do they dwell?”

The demon’s
eyes flicked to Drevarin. “Amongst the people.”

“
Be more specific.”

“
I cannot. They move from place to place, assuming different
identities, amusing themselves in many ways. I have given you their
true names, but at any time they could be anyone they choose; I
have no way of knowing. I have even heard tales of another,
supposedly a beast god, who dwells in the mountains to the south,
but that might only be rumour. Is this one your slave,
Lord?”

Bane frowned.
“Do not question me. Are any of them in league?”

“
Jerriss is Tolrar’s mistress, Scryon avoids them.”

“
How did they come to this domain?”

Eslason
glanced at Drevarin again. “Tolrar and Scryon entered through the
Realm Gate, Jerriss arose from the dark realm.”

“
You will find Tolrar, Jerriss and Scryon. You will find out if
there are any others. You will not harm anyone or anything. You
will not disclose my presence in this domain, or that of my
companion, to anyone or anything. You will maintain the aspect of a
man at all times. When you find Tolrar, you will report to me. When
you find Jerriss, you will report to me. When you find Scryon, you
will report to me. If you find another, you will report to me.”
Bane paused, wondering if he had forgotten anything. Ordering a
demon had to be done specifically, for if they found a loophole in
the orders, they would exploit it. “You will do nothing
else.”

Eslason bowed,
looking sour. “Yes, Lord.

“
You may go.”

The demon
turned and marched off through the forest, and, as soon as it had
been swallowed by the trees, Drevarin glanced at Bane.

“
Anyone or anything?”

“
A demon does not consider itself a person, although they do
prefer to be known as male, since that is the more powerful gender.
In fact, they are sexless, although, disguised as human males, they
do enjoy fornicating with women. A few even choose to become women.
Had I not specified anything, it would have told another
demon.”

“
I see.” Drevarin managed a weak smile. “I am glad you know
what you are doing.”

“
The knowledge comes from the dark power.”

“
Right. Well, it is worse than we thought. Three of
them.”

Bane nodded.
“Perhaps more, and a beast god.”

“
You cannot fight three of them. I have seen how destroying one
exhausted and injured you. If the others attack before you recover,
you will have no chance.”

“
The World Gate will have to be closed first, then I can
recover in the light realm.”

“
Yes, that would work, but even so, it is a lot to ask of you
for the sake of these tainted people.”

Bane gazed
through the trees. “I do not think I would do it for them.”

“
It is settled then. Let us tell Kayos.”

Bane forced
the dark power out of his flesh, letting it pour from his hands in
streams of shadow. When it ceased, Drevarin rested his hand upon
Bane’s shoulder and soft white light engulfed them again. They
rematerialised in the gazebo, and Kayos glanced up from his Eye,
raising his brows. Sherinias rose and inclined her head,
smiling.

“
Your return gladdens my heart, Bane, and you, Lord
Drevarin.”

Kayos shot her
a hard look. “That is not how you address a superior,
Sherinias.”

“
But Father -”

“
Do as I say.”

“
Yes, Father.” She turned back to Bane and inclined her head
again. “Lord Bane.”

He nodded.
“Lady Sherinias.” His eyes flicked past her to the Grey God. “We
need to talk.”

Kayos waved
away his Eye and rose. “Sherinias, stay here.”

Sherinias
pouted, but sank back onto her couch, gazing after them wistfully
as they left the gazebo and went into the cloud gardens.

***

Nikira stood
up as Predoran entered her cell, almost saluted, but caught herself
in time.

He glared at
her. “How did you know about the Great Gate?”

“
I... Has it closed already?”

“
Answer me!”

“
I told you, that message came from the Grey God,
Kayos.”

Predoran shook
his head. “You’re lying. This Kayos is a dra’voren, like the one
you captured, or perhaps the same one. We’ve got no idea how much
power they truly possess, and no one’s ever captured one before.
You found an unusual one, with unusual powers, and he duped
you.”

“
He split himself into three?”

“
He was probably an illusion, who knows? Maybe there are three.
The point is, you brought him, it or them here, and now the Gate is
closed.”

Nikira longed
for a way to persuade him that what she said was true. Bane’s group
would back up her story, but if she revealed the refugees’ location
they would be arrested as well and probably imprisoned for
espionage or some other ridiculous, inflated charge. Clearly the
governor was enraged, and now, cut off from the central government,
he was a law unto himself, one in whom she did not have any
faith.

“
They’ll open it again. They said they’d allow the people in
the city to go back into Bayona. This is probably a warning,
because you wouldn’t listen.”

“
They closed an ancient, never before used gate and activated
deadly weapons that use the white power, destroying the Dorilan
Dome, as a
warning
?” His face purpled as he shouted the last word.

Nikira’s heart
sank. “They’re gods, Predoran. To them, it’s probably easy.”

“
They killed hundreds of people, and injured even more. That’s
what dra’voren do!”

Nikira nodded,
stunned. “According to legend, yes, dra’voren are world destroyers,
but they’re not dra’voren.”

“
Your instruments told you that the one you captured was a
dra’voren, but you listened to his lies, and now our world is going
to be destroyed, because of you!”

“
No, he destroyed a dra’voren, we all saw him. It’s recorded,
watch the data sticks.”

“
I’ve seen them. It looks convincing, but it could be an
illusion.”

“
No. The shockwave -”

“
He could have done that!” His face twisted. “You’re supposed
to be a trained stealth ship commander, not a gullible fool. Maybe
there are two of them, and the second one freed your prisoner, but
why the hell did you bring them here?”

“
I was convinced, so was my crew, that they weren’t
dra’voren.”

“
Well you and your crew were wrong, but the burden of
responsibility falls on you. They followed your orders, and you
were too stupid to see the truth even after he assaulted
Drontar.”

“
Drontar drugged him and stole his blood,” Nikira
said.

“
He was doing his job! If you hadn’t destroyed the first
samples, he wouldn’t have had to do that. But that’s all beside the
point now, isn’t it? Tomorrow, you’re going to be executed for high
treason.”

She sank down
on the bench as her legs turned to jelly. “You’re wrong, Predoran.
They’ll re-open the Gate.”

“
I don’t care if they do! No one’s going in there to be
slaughtered; we’re safer out here now. Think about what you’ve done
while you can, Commander. Tomorrow, you pay for your
crimes.”

“
But I’ve had no trial.”

“
We don’t need a trial to prove your guilt,” he said, and
strode out of the cell. The guard locked the door behind him, and
Nikira stared at the floor, her mind numb with shock and dread, her
faith shaken to the core. Had Bane betrayed her? He had warned her
that the Dorilan Dome was in the path of the Gate’s weapons, but
she had not thought they would allow it to be destroyed.

***

Kayos gazed
across the cloud garden, his expression bleak. “I am a fool. I
should have realised.”

“
None of us thought of it then. We just wanted to help these
people, and the child goddess trapped in her birthing chamber,”
Drevarin pointed out.

“
So we leave,” Bane said. “These people will be glad to have
their Gate open again, and when the domain dies they have the means
to produce food and light with their machines. They will not
perish.”

Kayos shook
his head. “It is not right, abandoning them, but light gods have
ever fled the darkness. It is nothing new. But that is not what
concerns me.”

“
What is the problem?”

“
Sherinias is a child. She cannot leave her domain until she is
mature, it feeds her until then. She will die.”

Drevarin
frowned. “I did not know that. Could another domain sustain
her?”

“
No. It must be the one she was born in.”

Bane swung
away, glaring at the hapless clouds. “Damn.”

“
If she closes the World Gate, perhaps it will protect her
until she can leave,” Drevarin suggested.

“
Two hundred years?” Kayos asked. “Doubtful. Those three will
plot to enslave her, and with three of them, it will not take that
long for them to corrupt a pure person and make a key.”

“
If they can find a pure person in this domain,” Bane
said.

“
They will, because once the World Gate is closed, the children
will all be born pure.”

Drevarin said,
“I suppose it would be better for her to be enslaved than to
die.”