Demon Lord VII - Dark Domain (31 page)

Bane blinked
spots from his eyes and rubbed a ringing ear. “Wow. That was
bright.”

Drevarin
squinted and knuckled an eye. “Loud, too. More so than I thought it
would be.”

Bane stepped
closer and swung his shield, striking Drevarin’s in another blast
of cyan fire and clap of thunder, this time closing his eyes.
Drevarin’s soul shone pure blue-white, suffusing his form, and Bane
realised that it would probably be better to keep his eyes closed.
The light god skipped forward and smashed his shield against Bane’s
again, the thunder of the impact rolling away across the
mountainside to echo in distant valleys. Bane followed when
Drevarin retreated, slamming his shield into the light god’s, who
created a sword and struck Bane’s shield with it in a hissing
shower of blue sparks. Bane also summoned a sword and struck back,
his weapon clanging off Drevarin’s shield with only a glimmer of
yellow sparks. Bane found the contest interesting and amusing,
especially the different reactions of their powers to each
other.

Drevarin leapt
into the air and flew towards the city, and Bane followed. Next to
the highest tower, high above the streams of flying traffic, the
light god turned to him and swung his shield against Bane’s in
another explosion of blue fire that lighted the streets below. The
thunderbolt shattered all the windows in the towers around them,
sending showers of glittering glass raining down. Faint screams
came from far below as pedestrians fled the sparkling cascades,
seeking shelter in shops and doorways. Many of the flying vehicles
swerved or dived, while some stopped to hover at a safe
distance.

Bane retaliated
with his sword, which bounced off Drevarin’s shield, then smashed
his into the light god’s in yet another thunderous impact and blue
blaze. On the streets, people peered upwards from their shelters,
some pointing and shouting. Bane wondered what the unbelievers
would make of the mock battle, and how they would explain it.
Drevarin struck back and Bane smashed his shield aside, careful to
ensure he only hit the light god’s shield or sword. After they had
traded explosive blows for a few minutes, Drevarin stopped and
lowered his shield, his eyes sparkling.

“Throw a bolt.”
He hefted the shield.

Bane hesitated,
dubious, then directed a weak blast of shadows at Drevarin’s
shield. The black fire struck it in a cyan flash and ricocheted
into the building beside them, burning a hole through it. The dull
thump of an explosion came from deep within, and an orange flare
filled the windows for a moment.

Drevarin gazed
at it and pulled a face. “Oops.”

Bane hovered
beside him. “Maybe that was not such a good idea.”

“I hope no one
was in there.”

“It looks
abandoned to me.” The tower seemed have suffered in the quakes. It
leant a little, and cracks snaked up its walls.

“Perhaps we
should help them demolish it?”

Bane looked
down again. The people on the streets below were well out of range
of the column of black fire that supported him, but falling debris
would undoubtedly injure some before they fled. He was surprised
Drevarin would suggest such a risky venture. “I think not. People
might be hurt.”

Drevarin
followed his gaze. “Right, forgot about them.” He drifted over to
the tower’s rooftop and landed upon it.

Bane dropped to
the concrete beside him, dismissing his shield. “Had enough?”

The light god’s
shield and sword vanished. “For now. I am curious, though. You use
the shadows to fly, but you should be able to without them.”

“Kayos said so
too. I have not yet mastered that power. I wish I could.”

“Perhaps I
could teach you.”

Bane eyed him.
“How would you do that?”

“Cast out your
power, and I will show you.”

Bane had little
left after half an hour of air walking, and had been about to start
a Gather when Drevarin had quit the battle. He forced the remnants
from his flesh, letting it stream from his fingers in shadow falls.
When it stopped, he quirked an eyebrow at Drevarin. “What now?”

“This.”
Drevarin grasped Bane’s arm and Moved. They rematerialised high
above the clouds, and Drevarin grinned, his hold on Bane’s arm
keeping him aloft.

Bane glanced
down. “You think so?”

“There is
nothing like necessity to spark evolution.”

“Yes, but…”

Drevarin
released him, and Bane fell. The wind rushed past at an
ever-increasing speed, and his cloak whipped up in a rippling
banner. Drevarin kept pace with him, assuming a sitting posture on
the rushing air.

“So, if you do
not wish to become a flat man, how will you stop your fall?” he
shouted, the wind sweeping his voice away.

Bane leant back
and folded his arms. “If I knew that, I would be able to fly
already.”

“All right, so
you need to use your inborn powers to command flight.”

Bane raised his
brows. “How?”

“I am unsure. I
was able to fly as a child. Perhaps imagine you are lighter than
air.”

“I do not think
imagining will do the trick.”

Drevarin looked
down at the ground that rushed towards them as they passed through
a layer of clouds. “Then perhaps push the ground away with your
mind.”

Bane followed
his gaze. The distant shapes of buildings swelled as he fell
towards them, becoming detailed. He tried Drevarin’s suggestion,
but his fall continued unchecked. “No, nothing.”

Drevarin’s brow
furrowed. “If you do not think of something soon, you might be
hurt.”

“Is that
supposed to make me try harder to do something I cannot?”

“You cannot
because you do not know how. Try commanding the air to support
you.”

Bane stretched
forth his aura to form the air beneath him into a cushion capable
of supporting him, but the element was too tenuous, and the up
draught that resulted barely slowed his fall. He shook his head.
“Perhaps if I had more time to form a stronger wind, but the storm
it caused would be fairly devastating, so I am sure this is not how
it is supposed to be done.”

“Imagine you
are a bird?”

Bane smiled.
“Should I flap my arms?”

“You really are
a brick.” Drevarin looked down again as the roof of a building
became close enough to make out the speckles in the concrete, took
hold of Bane’s arm and Moved. They rematerialised atop the roof,
and Bane tugged his tunic straight.

Drevarin eyed
him, clearly puzzled. “This should come to you instinctively. How
can it not?”

“My inborn
powers were partly blocked until recently.”

“And you also
know you can simply use the dark power to Move or fly. There is no
instigation to change without some form of danger or reward.”

“My reward will
be not making Mirra sick when I carry her.”

“Is that the
only advantage natural flight will give you?”

“No,” Bane
said. “I suppose if I was unable to use the dark power, as has
happened in the past, and fell, I would need the ability to
fly.”

“There you go,
then.”

“Except that
necessity does not apply right now.”

Drevarin shook
his head. “You do not want to wait until it is a life and death
situation, Bane. That will have dire consequences if you fail.”

“What do you
suggest?”

“Have you ever
dreamt of flying?”

“No.”

The light god
sighed. “Perhaps you should imagine you cannot use the dark power,
then your inborn ability will come to the fore to save you.”

“I have already
been injured falling.”

“But was that
after you gained your full natural powers?” Drevarin asked.

“No.”

“Then let us
try this.” The light god sprang at Bane, seized his arm and pushed
him off the roof. The street rushed up at them, and Drevarin
released Bane and vanished. Bane twisted in the air, getting his
legs under him, but the speed with which he would hit the ground
was too great to survive, and there was not enough time to Gather
enough dark power to fly or Move. He knew Drevarin would not let
him die, but he had to make himself believe he would if this was
going to work. He banished the knowledge of Drevarin’s aid and
allowed himself to experience gut-wrenching dread as he fell, an
instant from impact. The rune scars under his wrist guards and on
his nape tingled, then the street vanished and he stood atop the
building once more.

Drevarin
released Bane’s shoulder, frowning. “That was disappointing. I was
sure pushing you off a roof would do the trick.”

“It was
certainly a novel idea. Few would have done that.”

“True. I
am
a good friend. Pity it did not work, though.”

Bane rubbed his
wrist, where the runes still tingled under the guard.

“Do the
frathess
runes pain you?” Drevarin asked.

“The what?”

“
Frathess
: binding. They are what leashed your natural
powers.”

“I knew that,
but I did not know what they were called.”

“Kayos could
have told you.”

“He does not
know about them,” Bane said.

“Of course he
does, as I do. Nothing else could bind a mortal god’s innate
abilities.”

“Huh. I wonder
why he never told me.”

Drevarin
shrugged. “It would have done no good for you to know what they are
called.”

“True. Well,
apparently they still bind some of my powers. And to answer your
earlier question, yes, they tingle a little.”

“Then you
almost broke free of them. Next time, you will.”

“Not today.”
Bane surveyed the ruined towers, blockades of flying traffic and
the people who emerged from their shelters in babbling crowds. “I
think we have caused enough mayhem and frightened the populous
sufficiently for one day. We should get back.”

“Indeed. It
will give them food for thought, though.” Drevarin clasped Bane’s
shoulder again, and the city vanished.

Bane gazed
across the peaceful vale at Sarrin and Ethra, who picked wild
flowers in the distance. Mirra lay beside him on a picnic blanket
close to a pretty lake. A natural forest surrounded the tiny
bastion of wilderness, one of the few truly wild places left in
this domain, unspoilt due to its remote location in a steep-sided
crater deep in the hills. Drevarin had brought them a few hours
ago, and they had shared a pleasant repast of cheese, wine and
fresh bread in the sun. Mithran, Artan and Grem had declined the
invitation to join the outing, preferring to spend their time in a
pub.

Since casting
out the dark power after the mock battle with Drevarin four days
ago, Bane had spent almost all his time with Mirra, picnicking,
swimming in the crater’s lake and strolling in the forests. The
others sometimes accompanied them, or they visited alehouses as a
group and enjoyed many merry hours together. When he and Mirra were
alone, they relaxed and talked, enjoying each other’s company, as
they had done at their home in Myrthran, and at times he almost
forgot they were no longer there.

There had been
no sign of Nomard and Dramon, who, Bane guessed, were lying low,
biding their time while they waited to see if he would keep his
side of the bargain. Doubtless they amused themselves at the
expense of a few humans, but as long as their entertainment did not
cause trouble he would leave them alone. He had no wish to get into
a confrontation with them and jeopardise the deal.

The lake
shimmered, water fowl called and splashed, insects buzzed and frogs
croaked in the rushes. A stream cascaded down one side of the
crater with a distant hiss and gurgled over a stony bed into the
lake. He and Mirra now resided in a formerly abandoned house on the
outskirts of a town several leagues away. He had used the blue
power to make it habitable and provide all the necessary comforts,
hiding it with illusions of trees and shrubbery. He had done the
same to another close by for his father and friends, while the rest
of the refugees had found lodgings in the town.

Everyone
enjoyed the return to normality after so much time in the God
Realm, aboard ships and in the light realm. Although this world was
different from the ones they came from, the discrepancies were
barely noticeable in rural areas, aside from the polluted land and
the inability to speak to the locals unless Bane was nearby.
Drevarin had acquired a flying vehicle for them to use, which he
had found abandoned somewhere, Bane surmised. It came in handy for
travelling to and from the village to buy food, and Mirra had
settled down to domestic bliss again with an air of satisfaction.
She needed a break after the hardships even more than he did, and
he was glad she had this opportunity.

Soon after he
had chosen the little town as their dwelling place, Bane had
strolled around it and created warning wards that signalled his
presence to any demons and creatures of darkness that approached
it, warning them off. The demons that resided in the town had left
shortly after he had taken up residence, making it the most
peaceful place in the domain. As yet, the scientists in Bayona had
not noticed the town’s tranquillity, and Bane suspected that its
residents kept quiet about it to avoid investigation that might
bring an end to their peace. A few droges remained, but he was
disinclined to take up the power again to rescind their forms when
he encountered them, and they did nothing to attract his attention.
Evidently word of his dislike for them had spread and, after his
battle with the demons in the torture chamber, every droge and
demon knew that a new dark god ruled the domain.

Tomorrow, he
would Gather enough power to visit Kayos, Drevarin and Sherinias
aboard Retribution, where they once again resided in the mess hall.
Perhaps Mirra, Mithran and Grem would accompany him.