Demon Lord III - Grey God (8 page)

The Elder God
gestured to the gazebo, where three couches awaited occupants. Bane
sank down on one, the blue nimbus around him brightening, tiny blue
flames outlining his form wherever he made contact with the couch.
When the three were seated, Kayos studied Bane, noting the cold
glint in his eyes.

"You came
unwillingly."

"At my wife's
request."

"She has my
gratitude."

Bane's brows
drew together, warning Kayos to get to the point before his
patience ran out.

Kayos nodded.
"Has Lyriasharin told you of her daughter, Ashynaria?"

"Yes."

"Then you know
I have sought her for a thousand years, and I have found her." He
paused. "She is enslaved by a dark god named Telvaron, a powerful
man. Only another dark god can free her."

A suspicious
look flitted across Bane's face, and he glanced at Lyriasharin.
"And this is what you want from me? It means going into this God
Realm you spoke of, which is where you would like to exile me."

"It is not a
trick," the goddess said. "Kayos told me of her capture before he
knew of your existence, and it was I who said that you might help
me to bring her home."

"And if I am
not killed by this god I can be conveniently abandoned in the God
Realm."

"No, My Lord."
Lyriasharin looked sad. "Do not listen to the dark power. I would
not harm you or cast you out. It is dangerous, yes, but I will not
betray you."

Kayos said,
"You are tar'merin, and therefore welcome here. You will be treated
as an ally."

"Why should I
trust you?"

"I give you my
word, and I do not lie."

"Unlike a dark
god."

Kayos inclined
his head. "You know this from your experience with Arkonen.
Tar'merin such as you are extremely rare."

Bane pondered
this. "What horrors await in the God Realm?"

"Many, I am
afraid. Most of those who dwell there are gods, and many of them
are of the bestial or demonic kind."

Bane gazed out
across the glowing gardens of white fire for several minutes, his
expression distant. "I have no wish to leave my home and search out
danger, perhaps be killed in the process. Your granddaughter means
nothing to me. My life is here."

"It is no
small favour we ask of you, we realise that," Lyriasharin said. "We
can only appeal to you and hope you will find it in your heart to
help us."

"I will not
leave my wife."

"Your
reluctance is understandable, but she will be perfectly safe, I
assure you. I will watch over her myself."

Bane looked
down at his hands, spreading them. "I did not say I was reluctant
to leave her, I said I will not. Not now, not ever, as I vowed upon
our marriage. I am no longer a single entity. I am part of a pair."
He raised brilliant eyes to meet Lyriasharin's.

The goddess
inclined her head. "Of course. But surely you do not wish to put
her in danger?"

"No."

"What would
Mirra want you to do?"

Bane looked
away. "Do not use my wife's soft heart to make me do what you
want."

Lyriasharin
studied his profile. "Deep down, you want to help us. But you are
afraid." She leant forward. "Afraid of dying out there, far from
your home, far from Mirra. Alone."

"You want me
to defeat another dark god, but what makes you think I can? I could
not defeat Arkonen without your aid."

"You were
young and inexperienced. Your powers have increased a great deal
since then, and with the passage of time, they will grow more."

"I could not
get through his shields." Bane's eyes grew distant again as he
recalled the terrible day he had fought Arkonen. "He toyed with me.
He laughed at me. I never want to do that again. I cannot defeat a
dark god."

"You can,"
Kayos said. "There have been others like you, who destroyed
them."

"Mortal?"

"No. But you
are just as powerful as they were."

"Arkonen said
there was no way for me to defeat him, and as far as I can tell, he
was right. Only the white fire defeated him."

Kayos shook
his head. "It can be done without the white fire. It has been done.
You just need to learn how."

"And are you
going to teach me?"

"I can teach
you many things, but not how to use the dark power. That you must
discover for yourself."

"If I live
long enough," Bane said.

"You
will."

"Is that a
prediction?"

"Just a
feeling." Kayos sat back, glancing at his daughter.

Lyriasharin
said, "Do you recall, My Lord, what you said on the day I restored
your hands, and I asked if you would help me, should I require your
aid one day?"

"I am not
convinced that this is within my power." Bane shook his head. "When
I agreed, I certainly did not have something as dangerous as this
in mind."

"Do you wish
to speak to Mirra before you decide?"

"I know what
she will say."

"Then you will
help us?"

Bane sighed,
lowering his eyes. "I know nothing of this God Realm."

"I will be
with you, naturally," Kayos said. "Without me you would not find
Ashynaria; the God Realm is dark and trackless."

"How did you
find her?"

Kayos smiled.
"It took me a thousand years."

"How long
would it take to return there?"

"Now that I
know the way, not long."

Bane looked
thoughtful. "A Move takes only a moment."

"We cannot
Move there. To Move within the God Realm is to be lost."

"If I do this,
I want something in return."

Kayos glanced
at his daughter, a slight frown wrinkling his brow. "What?"

"Make my wife
a goddess."

Lyriasharin
looked away, and Kayos' frown deepened. "That is not your decision.
By doing so, you will change her destiny forever, deny her rebirth
as a mortal, and bring her into the dangerous world of gods."

"I will
protect her."

"She may not
wish it. And you may one day fall, leaving her at the mercy of dark
gods."

"I will not
fall."

Kayos thought
it quite likely that he was right. He had not seen many with as
much power as this young god. "The choice is hers, but, if she
wishes it, I will raise her up if you free my granddaughter. Then
you must both leave here, and she must create her own domain. This
too, she must be told. Our kind is uneasy together. We prefer
solitude. It will be hard at first, and dangerous for such a young
goddess."

"But we will
be together forever."

"Nothing is
forever. In my lifetime I have created seventeen sons and
twenty-seven daughters. Only one still lives."

"How old are
you?"

Kayos
shrugged. "When I was created, there was no way to measure time,
save by the birth and death of stars."

"Who created
you?"

"As far as I
know, no one. I came into being in the dust of a dead star, and
fell to the God Realm, which still burnt."

Bane looked
thoughtful, and Kayos wondered if he was considering their request,
or merely pondering the new information. Kayos glanced at
Lyriasharin, who gazed at Bane, her eyes filled with sorrow and
love. Even if she had yet to admit it to herself, his daughter was
smitten with Bane, which saddened Kayos, for Bane clearly loved his
wife. Finding this young, mortal tar'merin in his domain filled him
with wonder and excitement. It seemed too good to be true. He had
long hoped to meet a tar'merin.

Lyriasharin
murmured, "What will you do if Mirra does not wish to be raised
up?"

Bane looked
away. "I will accept her decision."

"Then it is
agreed?"

Bane
hesitated, casting a piercing glance at Kayos. "I will consider
it."

The Elder God
inclined his head. Bane rose, swung away with a swirl of his cloak
and vanished in a flash of blue light, leaving fading sparkles that
drifted down.

Chapter Four

God Realm

Bane
reappeared in a glade some distance from his house, close to the
track that led to it. For a moment he stood with bowed head and
clenched hands, concentrating on the hated sensations of the dark
power within him, even though it was only dregs now. Only one of
those sensations had he missed, the only one that held any
seduction, the strongest lure of all. Power. Closing his eyes, he
raised his head and spread his hands, letting the shadows pour from
his fingers and sink away into the ground. The last shreds were the
hardest to shed, and fought to remain in his bones, but he evicted
them with brutal determination, a lot of his strength draining away
with them. As they left him, his shoulders slumped, and he
sighed.

"You there,
turn around!"

The shout made
Bane start, and his gut clenched as he recognised his father's
voice. If he had still had any power, he would have Moved, but
without it he had no choice but to obey. He did so slowly, dreading
his father's reaction. Mithran stood at the edge of the glade, Grem
beside him, a loaded crossbow aimed at Bane's heart.

Mithran's eyes
widened. "Bane?"

"Yes,
Father."

Grem lowered
the crossbow, frowning.

Mithran raked
Bane an incredulous glance. "What are you doing?"

"I -"

"Why are you
wearing those clothes?"

"I -"

"Have you
taken leave of your senses?"

"No, I -"

"How could
you?" Mithran's face twisted. "How could you turn to the darkness
again?"

Bane rubbed
his brow. "I have not -"

"I won't let
you!" Mithran shouted, striding up to his son, his eyes afire with
wrath. Grem followed, looking wary. Mithran grabbed the front of
Bane's shirt and yanked him closer, glaring into his eyes. "You
want to become what you were? You take up the power he gave you?
You turn to evil?"

"Father." Bane
placed his hands on his father's shoulders. "Let me explain."

"What possible
explanation could there be? You renounced the dark power!"

"Yes, I -"

"How will
Mirra feel when she finds out? How could you do this to her?"

"She
knows."

Mithran shoved
him away. "You've betrayed her, all of us."

"I want to
hear his explanation," Grem muttered.

Mithran turned
to him, then bowed his head, frowning at the ground. Bane nodded at
the warrior, but received a glacial stare.

"Mirra asked
me to -"

"Don't lie!"
Mithran shouted, swinging around. "She would never do that."

"Usually, no.
Lyriasharin visited me yesterday, with her father, Kayos. Later she
returned and asked me to go to Eternity. She needs my help."

Mithran's jaw
dropped. "The goddess was here? And Kayos? After a thousand years,
he's returned? You went to Eternity?" His amazement grew with each
startled question. "She needs your help?"

Grem looked
stunned.

Bane nodded.
"Yes. If you doubt me, ask Mirra."

"You..."
Mithran gulped. "What was it like?"

"Bright.
Fluffy white clouds, that sort of thing."

"By the
light," Mithran muttered. "I have a son who visits the gods in
Eternity."

"What are you
doing here?"

Mithran
glanced at Grem and waved a hand. "We're on our way home. Grem
needed to use a bush, and we saw deer running past, so we decided
to see what had frightened them in case it was dangerous."

Grem shook
himself from his shock. "What help does the goddess need?"

"I will tell
you at home. Mirra is waiting for me."

"Of course."
Mithran stepped closer to his son and clasped his shoulder. "Sorry
about that."

"It was
understandable."

"Even so, I
shouldn't have doubted you."

"It is all
right, Father."

Mithran gave a
jerky nod. "Let's get home so you can tell us all about it. You're
not going to frighten old Carrots, are you?"

"No. I have
cast it out now."

"Good."
Mithran thumped his shoulder, and they set off through the trees,
Grem following.

"Goddess, that
is amazing. He found Ashynaria after a thousand years of
searching," Mirra whispered into the thick silence that fell at the
end of Bane's tale. They sat around the kitchen table, their faces
illuminated by the golden light of the many candles on the table
and on shelves around the walls, mingled with the blue glow.

Bane nodded.
"Quite a feat, even for him, I think."

"You must save
her."

"I will not
leave you."

Her face fell.
"But Ashynaria... I will come with you then."

"It is too
dangerous. We have to travel through somewhere called the God
Realm, to the domain where she is held prisoner."

She frowned.
"You promised to take me wherever you went."

"Which is why
I am not going."

"You must. If
you do not, I will be to blame for Ashynaria's suffering."

Bane shook his
head. "I do not think I can save her, anyway."

"Of course you
can."

"You do not
know that any more than I do. I could be killed."

"Kayos would
not allow that. Neither would I, which is all the more reason for
me to come with you."

Bane rubbed
his brow and sighed. "This is insane. I am not taking you into so
much danger."

"You will be
there to protect me."

"No. We are
not going."

"I will not be
able to live with that guilt, Bane. It will eat me alive."

"I would not
do it anyway."

"So you are
just using me as an excuse?"

He eyed her.
"A good reason, but not the only one."

"What are the
others?"

"I told you, I
do not think I can defeat a dark god. I did not beat Arkonen on my
own."