Demon Lord V - God Realm by T C Southwell Page B

mage."
    Kayos glared
at her. "My anger is justified. Using these is forbidden. You
almost killed him, through your ignorance. Your god is a fool to
create such as you."
    Sarrin bowed
her head. "Our god is dead."
    "Because he
was foolish enough to try to use these." Kayos shook the shackles
at her, making them chime musically. "And through your stupidity,
you have put me in danger."
    "You, Lord?"
Sarrin looked amazed.
    "Yes. A dark
god pursues me, and Bane was to have been my salvation, but thanks
to your foolishness he will not be able to protect me until he has
recovered."
    Ethra glanced
around, and Sarrin looked at Bane. The shadows continued to pour
from him, forming a pool of darkness around him, some of it sinking
into the stone.
    "Can you not
heal him, Lord?"
    "When he is
purged, but it will take time, and I have little. You must carry
him away from here, for if the dark god finds you he will kill you
all. I shall ascend to the next level and make my stand there. When
Bane is well enough, he must free me."
    "You intend to
fight this dark god, Lord?"
    Kayos snorted.
"Certainly not, that would be folly. I shall defend myself." He
turned to frown at Artan, who lay where he had fallen, nursed his
jaw and watched Kayos with fearful eyes. "Get up."
    The stocky
warrior obeyed, bowed his head and clasped his hands before him in
an attitude of worship. Kayos walked over to him and touched his
brow, a flash of golden light forming under his palm. Artan's burns
vanished, and he staggered back.
    "You will obey
the Demon Lord, and serve him well," Kayos ordered.
    Artan bowed.
"As you command, Lord."
    The Grey God
glanced around, then at Bane, who was still engulfed in shadows. He
strode into the pool of darkness, a blue nimbus appearing around
him, and knelt beside the Demon Lord. Sarrin tried to follow, but
the darkness' icy touch forced her to retreat, pale-faced.
     
    Bane opened
his eyes as Kayos leant over him and asked, "How goes your
purge?"
    "Quick, but
painful. For once, the dark power is eager to leave me, after being
trapped for so long."
    "I am pursued.
When I have healed you, I shall ascend to the next level and await
you there. Do not come until you are strong enough to defeat a dark
god."
    Bane grimaced.
"That could take a while, unless you can restore my strength
too."
    "That would
take too long; I do not have much time."
    "Slow it down
then."
    Kayos shook
his head. "That would do little good, since a dark god can counter
it."
    Bane sighed
and closed his eyes. The dark power drained from him effortlessly,
taking with it a great deal of his strength. As the last of it
seeped from him, he opened his eyes, finding Kayos still beside
him, watching him.
    "It is
done."
    Kayos laid his
hands on Bane's chest, and golden light flared under his palms.
Without the dark power to obstruct him, he healed Bane swiftly and
sat back. "Find somewhere safe to rest."
    "How will I
find you?"
    "Follow your
instincts, or summon a Hound."
    Kayos started
to stand up, but Bane gripped his sleeve. "Could you not stay and
shield us all until I have recovered, or find a domain where we
would all be safe?"
    The Grey God
looked pensive. "I am tempted to, but I used a lot of power to find
you, and have not been able to replace it. This place is neutral,
so the light is hard to Gather here. My shield would be weak,
especially if I have to protect so many, and I do not think we
would find a domain before my pursuer caught up. It is too risky.
You must be fully recovered if you are to defeat another god. If
you try too soon, you will fail."
    Bane nodded
and released him, and Kayos rose, glancing at the scruffy group.
"Take him from here. Go that way."
    Kayos pointed
in the direction in which they had been travelling, then turned and
strode off in the opposite direction. They bowed to him as he
passed, and Mirra ran to Bane's side and knelt to embrace him,
Mithran following to gaze down at his son. Bane raised a hand to
clasp her cheek as she sobbed,