Demon Lord III - Grey God by T C Southwell

Bane leant closer to Kayos and
whispered, "What were those things?"
    "Troll
gods."
    "Did we have
to walk right through the middle of them?"
    "Unfortunately, yes. This is the path I know. If I stray I will be
lost. There was no real danger, they are asleep."
    "How did you
know they would not be awake this time?"
    Kayos
shrugged. "I did not, but I had no choice. I think they have been
asleep for aeons, and the likelihood of them waking up at the
moment when we passed them was extremely small."
    "You might
have warned me."
    "I did not
think you would see them."
    "Well I did."
Bane gazed around. "How much further until we can stop?"
    "Do you
require more rest?"
    Bane glanced
at Mirra. "We all need some sleep. We must have walked for more
than two days now."
    "Probably."
    Bane eyed the
Elder God. "Something else you do not need, I suppose?"
    "Actually I
do, but not as much as you. Unfortunately, safe places are hard to
come by here."
    "We could take
turns to stand guard while the rest sleep."
    Kayos shook
his head. "To spend too much time in one place is to invite
attack."
    "Then I hope
you have a better idea."
    The Grey God
looked thoughtful. "There is a domain near here, but gaining access
will not be easy."
    "Not
impossible, though."
    "No."
    "Did you visit
it last time you were here?"
    "No."
    "Then how do
you know it is not a dark domain?"
    Kayos headed
off to his left. "I do not. If it is, tell them I am your
prisoner."
    "Will they
believe it?"
    "Yes. Dark and
light gods keep no other kind of company, and they will not know
you are tar'merin. If they ask you how you captured me, be evasive.
Dark gods do not share their knowledge, so they will not suspect
anything untoward."
    "You think
there will be more than one?"
    Kayos glanced
at him. "If it is a dark god's domain, there will be an enslaved
light god, and possible a dark goddess as well. If it is a light
domain, then possibly there will only be one."
    "But if it is
a dark god's domain, surely it will not be safe to sleep
there?"
    "No, then we
keep moving. Unfortunately, a dark god is more likely to open his
Gate than a light one, for obvious reasons. I will approach the
Gate; you remain invisible until I signal you."
    "And if they
do not open the Gate?"
    Kayos patted
his belt. "I have a Key. Not the one I used on my domain. This one
opens many gates, but not all."
    Bane sighed.
"All for a bit of sleep."
    The Elder God
led the way into an area of hazy blueness shot with silver gleams,
which gave the impression of streaming downwards like a waterfall.
They walked through it until they reached a wall of grey rock, into
which was set a massive, intricately carved Realm Gate. A faint
blue nimbus appeared around Bane, indicating the presence of the
white power, which he took to mean that the domain they approached
was a light one. As Kayos approached the Gate, a network of white
wards sprang into being. He stopped, not touching the lines, and
Bane made himself invisible beyond the scope of the wards.
    The Gate
chimed, its sweet notes ringing dully in the God Realm's vastness.
Bane rested a leg, yawning. Mirra, Mithran and Grem sat down
further away, as they had been instructed. Bane's eyes drooped with
fatigue, his legs ached and his feet throbbed, and he wondered if
he should join Mirra on her demon steed when it returned. Stubborn
pride made him walk, determined to prove he could keep up with
Kayos. The chiming stopped, and Bane straightened. Something told
him the Gate opened too soon, and Kayos seemed to feel the same
way, for he stepped back.
    The Gate swung
inwards with majestic torpor, the ghostly blue luminescence that
shone out of it riming Kayos with silver. A tall form stood in the
doorway, silhouetted against the light until he advanced down the
sloping ramp and stopped at the bottom, far enough from Kayos that
he was not a threat.
     
     
    Kayos eyed the
grey-clad Naribis dark god, whose black eyes bored into his like
bottomless pits in a golden mask. Smooth taut skin