Demon Lord IV - Lord of Shadows (31 page)

"A white
temple for a dark god?"

"You walk in
the light, My Lord."

"And it hurts
my eyes."

"Pardon?"

He shook his
head. "Never mind. I hope there will be no singing."

"No, My Lord.
The ceremony will be swift. All you need do is unveil the altar and
place your mark upon it."

"My mark?" He
tilted his head. "I have no mark."

"Then do with
it as you wish, or do nothing, the choice is yours."

Bane turned to
the altar and pulled off the cloth, revealing a slab of freshly
hewn black granite. Runes adorned its edges, and the front bore the
same 'V' of runes as his chest. He frowned. "That is a dangerous
inscription. Why would good people want to worship me, Kyan? I can
offer them nothing."

"They do not
worship you for gain, only to pay homage for what you have done.
They all still worship our lady goddess, and I count myself amongst
their number."

He turned to
her, noting the presence of Shrea, Kimera and Patrin amongst the
high-ranking party. "You worship me?"

"Yes, Lord.
That surprises you?"

"Yes."

She smiled.
"You are our protector. If these people ask anything of you, it is
only that. Our goddess cannot protect us from a dark god, should
one invade our domain."

"I see." He
contemplated the altar's virgin surface for several minutes. The
silence was so intense that a pin dropping would have sounded like
a thunderclap. The runes of power and protection in the front of
the altar stone were inactive, and he laid his hand upon it.
Shadows oozed from his fingers, and several officials retreated
from its chill. The seven runes that he had used to banish the dark
power formed in the stone, then another set of five appeared, and
he activated them with a gesture. He turned to Kyan, who gazed at
the new runes.

"I have made
it a lodestone," Bane said, his words carrying to every corner of
the temple. "It will draw dark power into itself and send it below.
No black mage will be able to retain his power within these walls,
and it will cleanse corrupted people. Demons that touch it will be
vanquished, but it can do nothing to a dark god. If innocent blood
is ever spilt upon it, it will turn to dust, and in its turning to
dust, this temple and all in it will be destroyed."

Kyan met his
eyes. "Even a dark god?"

"No." Bane
smiled. "A dark god is too powerful to be destroyed in this
fashion. It may injure him, and if he is weak it might cast him
down, but I doubt it."

"It is a
wonderful gift, My Lord. Thank you."

"It is an
object of evil power, Kyan. Never mistake it for anything else. Now
it is time for me to leave."

"Your presence
amongst us has been a great boon, Lord. It will be inscribed in the
annals of our history in the most reverend manner, and remembered
for all time. Our descendants will honour you, if you ever choose
to return. We hope that our gratitude and worship please you, and
wish that you fare well for all time."

Shrea stepped
forward and echoed the Queen's last words, followed by Kimera and
Patrin. Bane looked impatient, and groaned as a priest in
gold-trimmed robes strode to the front of the assembly and cried,
"All hail the Demon Lord!"

Everyone sank
to their knees, echoing the priest's words. Bane held out his hand
to Mirra, and Moved as she took it.

Kayos
dismissed his Eye as Bane appeared just outside the gazebo and
entered it, sinking down on the third couch that Drayshina formed
with a wave of her hand to accommodate him. Mirra joined him, and
Grem and Mithran lounged in a cloud bush not far away. They
waved.

"Welcome, My
Lord," Drayshina murmured with a smile.

Bane nodded.
"Greetings, goddess."

"So you did
not find the people as tiresome as you thought they would be?"
Kayos enquired.

"They asked a
lot of questions."

"Naturally.

Bane smiled.
"Yes, I suppose so."

"Are you ready
to continue our journey?"

"Have you
granted all of Syrin's favours?"

"Yes, and
Drayshina granted the one that you incurred when you asked her to
bring a healer for Tarris."

Bane inclined
his head to the goddess, who smiled. He turned to Kayos. "You say
that angels have no power, yet Syrin seems able to do many
things."

Kayos
chuckled. "I thought you might be curious about her. She has a
number of abilities, nothing more. The six Grey Gods who brought
angels into being strived for perfection without creating gods, but
it was not a good idea. They are immortal, but they can be killed.
They weave their cocoons of concealment from the air, and they use
the invisible Channels that network everything."

"Can we also
use these Channels?"

"No. We have
power, and therefore cannot enter one. They were given the ability
to use the Channels so that they could serve us better, carrying
messages between us. At first they served us willingly, but then we
created domains and peopled them. The angels disliked the mortals'
suffering, and sought to help them, but in some instances they
could not, so they asked for favours in return for their aid."

"Why do you
allow suffering?"

Kayos sipped
his ambrosia. "How do you suggest that we prevent it? We cannot
stand by every person to guard them, nor can we provide boundless
food for the hungry. At times we do intervene, but for the most
part we find that, since we gave humans the gift of free will, they
must make of their lives what they will. Suffering is regrettable,
yet at times, good comes of it. Struggle builds the spirit and
teaches important lessons, pain strengthens and bestows compassion.
Without it, life would be dull."

"My pain did
not bestow compassion, it caused bitterness."

"The evil
actions of one being caused yours, not the struggle to survive."
Kayos paused, considering Bane. "Angels do not suffer, yet they are
unhappy with their lot. They blame their creators, quite rightly,
for giving them useless, dull lives. They envy the mortals' short
lifespan and constant rebirth into new, exciting lives. And the
mortals, of course, revile their lot, so, while we created beings
who suffer and others who do not, neither are content."

Bane chuckled.
"It must be hard, to be you."

Kayos smiled
and waved away his cup. "Even we suffer, Bane. My granddaughter
requires your aid, so let us be on our way."

Bane gazed up
at the vast Realm Gate as it began to glow and chime, wondering
what lay in store for them beyond it. Mirra's hand tightened on
his, and he met her eyes with a smile. Whatever was to come, he was
glad she was at his side, despite the danger. He glanced at his
father, who smiled. Mithran's eyes held a wealth of pride and love,
and Bane was glad that he seemed to have come to terms with his
repugnance for the darkness his son wielded.

The chiming
stopped, and the dull grating of the gigantic lock disengaging
echoed around the Gate Hall. The mighty portal swung open with
ponderous majesty to reveal the shivering darkness that awaited
them beyond. Kayos cast Drayshina a last warm smile and strode
through it. Bane glanced at the goddess, who raised a hand in
farewell, then followed the Grey God. Mirra clung to his hand, and
Mithran and Grem picked up their bundles and fell in behind.

*****

The tale continues in Book V,
God
Realm
, followed by Book VI,
Dark Domain
, and
others.

About the
author

T. C.
Southwell was born in Sri Lanka and moved to the Seychelles when
she was a baby. She spent her formative years exploring the islands
– mostly alone. Naturally, her imagination flourished and she
developed a keen love of other worlds. The family travelled through
Europe and Africa and, after the death of her father, settled in
South Africa.

T. C.
Southwell has written over forty novels and five screenplays. Her
hobbies include motorcycling, horse riding and art, and she earns a
living in the IT industry.

All
illustrations and cover designs by the author.

Visit the
Demon Lord blog: http://www.demon-lord-book.blogspot.com

Acknowledgements

Mike Baum and
Janet Longman, former employers, for their support, encouragement,
and help. My mother, without whose financial support I could not
have dedicated myself to writing for ten years. Isabel Cooke,
former agent, whose encouragement and enthusiasm led to many more
books being written, including this one. Suzanne Stephan, former
agent, who has helped me so much over the past six years, and
Vanessa Finaughty, good friend and business partner, for her
support, encouragement and editing skills.