Beast God
Kayos sat up with a frown, his demeanour tense.
Bane eyed him. “What is it?”
“Sherinias calls me.”
Bane raised his brows. “How can she?”
“She is a child. Until she is mature, she has the ability to signal her danger by calling the name of her parent.” He summoned an Eye, and Bane rose and moved behind him to share it. Kayos frowned at the black-clad stranger in the Eye, who looked up and grinned savagely as he sensed it.
“A dark god, of course,” Kayos muttered.
“I will go.”
“No. Wait, let us consider this.”
“She will be terrified.”
Kayos refocused the Eye inside the chamber. “Drevarin is with her.”
“Then they are both in danger.”
“But he will comfort her.” Kayos looked thoughtful. “This is happening far sooner than I hoped, but now we have an advantage they do not know about; apart from you, of course: this ship. If he could be lured into that shredder chamber, he would be defeated as easily as the first.”
“But how? If I take hold of him and Move him in there, they will stun us both, and kill me.”
“I would not let them.”
“If you go in there they will stun you too,” Bane said.
“Not if I am invisible, and I pick you up and Move straight away.”
“No, probably not, but I would be unconscious for many hours, and there would still be a dark goddess on the loose.”
“She is probably not much of a threat, but you are right, I do not want you harmed. I shall do it.”
“You cannot allow a dark god to take hold of you,” Bane said. “He might decide to kill you.”
“I will not allow him to touch me. I will not have to. He will follow me. I will Move out of the shredder room immediately, and he will arrive a moment later. I will be in no danger from the mortals. They will not see me and their weapons cannot harm me. You will be waiting outside, instructing them, ensuring it is done right. If anything goes wrong, you can protect me.”
“I do not like it.”
“You do not have to,” Kayos said. “I can defend myself, as you well know.”
“It is too dangerous. Dark gods are cunning. Do not imagine that he will fall for it so easily. If it is Tolrar, he may summon his mate, who could creep up on you invisible and take hold of you. She might even be with him now. He knows there is another light god in this domain now. He sensed your Eye. They could set a trap.”
Kayos dismissed the Eye, rose and paced in a circle, his head bowed. “I have thought of that. I will not give him time to summon his mate, and if she is there and takes hold of me, I will Move her into the chamber.”
“And you will be stunned.”
“But the mortals will not be able to kill me. They will not even know I am there.”
“You expect me to leave you lying in there until you wake up? That will take hours. I cannot go in there to carry you out, even invisible. Their machines will see me.”
“Come now, Bane, you are thinking like a human again. You can slow time, even stop it. What chance do mortals have against you?”
“You will still be unconscious for many hours, defenceless unless I guard you.”
Kayos nodded. “But there will only be one dark god left, and you can take care of him.”
“And if I am mortally wounded, Drevarin cannot heal me. Besides, we do not know for certain that there are only three dark gods in this domain. What if there are four?”
“We are over thinking this. The chances of everything going wrong are slim. Consult your demon and find out if there are four, then.”
“If he knows. He was supposed to report to me if he found more.”
“He might have sniffed out a rumour, which will still help.”
Bane inclined his head and Moved, rematerialising in a field of dry grass that one of the unnatural forests surrounded. “Eslason, come to me.”
A black circle formed on the ground in front of him and spread, tongues of foul fire turning the grass to ash, the soil sizzling as it burnt. A mud form shot up from its centre and took on the appearance of a handsome dark-haired man clad in a cream shirt, black leather trousers and a matching jacket. Several gold chains and an ornate belt completed his outfit. Demons did love garish finery, Bane mused, and Eslason’s was quite reserved by their standards.
Eslason bowed. “Lord.”
“Are there more than three dark gods in this domain?”
“Counting you?”
“No.”
“I have only found three so far,” the demon said, “but there are rumours of a fourth, possibly a beast god. I have not had much time yet.”
“If gods were as slow as demons, you would still be nothing more than a pocket of dark power in the bedrock of this domain.”
“I have their names and locations.”
“I do not need them now. I have already found them, and they are no longer where you think they are.”
“Then you do not need me anymore?”
“I never needed you,” Bane said. “I made use of you to accomplish a tedious task. Who was Parsimon?”
“Scryon.”
“Continue searching for more dark gods, and if you find any, report to me.”
Eslason bowed. “As you command, Demon Lord.”
“Go.”
The demon sank back into the ground, and Bane Moved to the mess hall where Kayos waited. The Grey God looked up at his arrival, raising his brows in enquiry.
Bane settled on his couch. “Only rumours of a fourth, a beast god, although how hard he looked is anyone’s guess. The one we defeated was Scryon.”
“Then we do as I said.”
“I still do not like it.”
“You are a pessimist, Bane.”
“I am cautious. I know what dark gods are like. I am one.”
“You are more human than them, and they are evil,” Kayos said.
“So why do I not just go there and tear that bastard apart?”
“That would be reckless. You could be hurt. He will call his mate, and then you will have to fight two of them.”
“I have done it before, and it was not in a light realm.”
The Grey God nodded. “Yes, but you were hurt, and now we have time to plan and options to consider. If two of them attack you, they will Move you to the dark realm, and you will be in grave danger. This way will be far easier, and safer.”
“If it works.”
“It will.” Kayos sighed. “It is times like these when I wish you would just do as I say. It would save a lot of arguments.”
“I do not have to listen to you at all, yet I do.”
“For which I am glad. But I can claim to be older and wiser than you.”
“Older, certainly, but I do not know about wiser, when it comes to protecting me.”
“No, in that I am wiser than you, too,” Kayos said. “You do not value your life as much as you should.”
Bane threw up his hands. “All right, we will do it your way, but when you get to the light realm, shield yourself.”
“I shall.”
“I will instruct Sarjan.”
Bane Moved to the containment room, and Kayos followed. The four contechs stiffened in alarm when Bane appeared in their midst, two jumping up and retreating.
He addressed the nearest, who remained seated. “Summon Commander Sarjan.”
The man touched the communications device on his console and spoke into it, then rose and sidled away. Several tense minutes passed before a concerned-looking Sarjan trotted in and stopped a few feet from Bane.
“What is it?”
“I have found another of your dra’voren, and I intend to lure him in there.” Bane gestured to the shredder room. “When he appears, you will have only an instant in which to use your stunner. Can you do it?”
Sarjan nodded. “How will you lure him in?”
“Rest assured, I will not be going in there. I know I cannot trust you.”
“Right. When’s it going to happen?”
“Shortly. Make your preparations.”
Sarjan turned to the senior contech. “Bring the generators online. Prepare for shredding.”
“Yes sir.” The man ran his hands over his control panel.
Bane went to the back of the room, and Kayos cast his shield over him. The contechs stared at the spot where he had vanished, and Sarjan scowled, plainly unhappy with the situation.
“Time to go,” the Grey God said.
Bane clasped his shoulder. “Be careful.”
“I have not lived this long by being reckless.”
The Demon Lord released him, and Kayos Moved. The containment room crew stared at Bane when he reappeared and strolled back to the middle of the room, where he could watch the window and scanner screen. He stopped beside Sarjan, who eyed him with deep mistrust, but stood his ground.
“What did you learn about the droge?” Bane asked.
“He’s made of inert plasma, a form of stable dark power, like your clothes.”
“I could have told you that.”
“We’re still running tests.”
“There is not much more to learn about him. He has no power.”
Sarjan licked his lips. “Could you... capture a fiend for us to study?”
Bane chuckled. “I could, but you could not hold it. It would assume its true form and slip from your bonds, or go below. Even capturing one would be... difficult. I would more likely destroy it in the attempt. But I could summon one.”
“Would you?”
“Perhaps. What will you offer in return?”
Sarjan hesitated. “What do you want?”
“Does your word of honour mean anything, Sarjan?”
“Yes.”
“Even if you gave it to me?”
Sarjan nodded. “It doesn’t matter who I give it to. I would keep it.”
“Then I would ask for your word of honour that, should the opportunity arise, you and your crew will offer me no harm.”
Sarjan frowned, avoiding the stares of his crew. “Just myself and my crew?”
“If you deliver me to someone else who would harm me, that will also be breaking your word.”
“I see. I’ll have to think about it.”
“You have five minutes.”
Sarjan walked away, and the senior contech went over to whisper in his ear. They held a brief discussion, then Sarjan nodded and faced Bane again. “Very well, you have my word.”
“On what?”
“I swear upon my honour that neither I nor any member of my crew will try to harm you, should we be able to do so.”
“Is there anyone on this ship who is not a member of your crew?”
“No.”
Bane paused, regarding him. “To assure myself that you are telling the truth, I wish to read your mind. Will you submit?”
Sarjan swallowed. “I... All right, as long as it doesn’t do anything to me.”
“It will not.”
“Do I have your word?”
“You do.”
The commander stepped back as Bane approached, then gathered his courage and stood still. Bane raised his hand, and Sarjan’s eyes followed it all the way to his brow. After a moment, Bane nodded and removed his hand.
“You speak the truth. I will summon one when the dra’voren has been shredded.”
Sarjan rubbed his brow. “Right... Right.”
Bane looked down at the scanner screen, his tension growing. A lot of time had passed. Kayos should have been here by now.
Kayos arrived outside Sherinias’ birthing chamber, remaining invisible while he assessed the situation. Tolrar pounded the chamber, which as yet showed no signs of damage. Kayos scanned the area, seeking demons, droges, or anyone who might cause a distraction or pose a threat, but it appeared to be empty. Tolrar swung around, sensing Kayos’ presence, and he became visible.
The dark god’s eyes narrowed and a sly, cruel smile curved his lips. “Well, well, what have we here? Another sheep for the slaughter. You must be the father of the little one?”
Kayos nodded. “I am.”
“Come to rescue her, have you?” He sniggered.
“I am certain I can offer you better sport. That must be tiring, especially here.”
“It is more annoying than tiring. But why would you offer yourself? After I have caught you, I shall have her and her craven friend too.”
Kayos raised his shields in case the dark god’s mate was around, as Bane had advised. “Why would you care why I do it?”
The bearded god frowned, his eyes glinting. “If you think your pathetic whelp and her cowardly companion can escape through the realm gate while I am chasing you, they cannot. My mistress and fifty demons guard it.”
“I only wish to release them from the chamber, so they can flee and I can protect my child.”
“But then you will retreat inside your shields with her, and that will really be annoying.”
“Drevarin can protect her too,” Kayos said.
“Yes. Your kind’s penchant for cowering within your damned shields is irritating. But I think I will winkle these two out first. I have a theory that I can get to them before they can Move.”
“Then you are a fool.”
Tolrar snorted. “Well, you would say that, would you not?” He muttered a few guttural words. “I shall consult my minion before I decide.”
Kayos shrugged, knowing full well that Tolrar was summoning his mistress. An air demon coalesced close to the dark god, who whispered to it, and it vanished.
He turned to Kayos, a sneer twisting his lips. “Allow me to introduce myself: Tolrar, Lord of Darkness.”
“I am Kayos, eldest of the Seven Founders.”
Tolrar’s eyes widened. “Ah, a prize indeed. No wonder you thought I would chase you.” His feigned look of wonderment vanished. “Who the hell are the Seven Founders?”
“You are ignorant. We are the ones who created the God Realm.”
“How nice for you. I am the one who will enslave you and take great delight in your pain.”
Kayos shook his head. “You will not catch me.”
“You are trapped in this domain, with an open world gate and a powerless whelp ruling it. It is only a matter of time.”
Kayos sensed a displacement as something arrived beside him, and then his shields flared as a dark entity touched them. He Moved. He rematerialised in the shredder chamber of Sarjan’s ship, and almost Moved again. Being so close to a dark goddess was unnerving, to say the least, and all his instincts clamoured for distance between them. He had become invisible the instant he arrived, and waited. If the goddess had followed him, she should have arrived a moment after he did. He suspected that Tolrar was a cautious fellow, perhaps a little more cunning or cowardly than most. He stood poised, ready to Move, and sensed Tolrar’s Eye upon him.
Again he fought the urge to Move, or block the dark god’s Eye. He hoped Tolrar would find nothing threatening about the metal room, and his suspicions would be allayed. Clearly he suspected that it was a trap, which was why he had used his Eye instead of allowing Jerriss to follow. Several moments passed while Tolrar studied the situation and made his decision, and Kayos waited with every nerve jangling in alarm. Even allowing a dark god to view his location was against all his instincts, and he hoped that his failure to flee or block it did not warn Tolrar. The Eye would follow him wherever he went, unless he found hallowed ground, of which there was none in this domain.
The dark goddess appeared beside him in a surge of power, and Kayos Moved. As he did, he sensed the concussion shake the air around him, then he was beside Bane in a dim corner of the containment room.
Bane frowned at the scanner screen on the senior contech’s control board. Too much time had passed, and his concern was reaching monumental proportions. He longed to create an Eye and see what was happening to Kayos, but Tolrar would sense it. He might think it was Scryon, but it was risky. From what the demon had told him, Scryon would not dare to cast his Eye upon Tolrar.
Alarms whooped and beeped, and the contech who sat in front of the screen swore as he hit a red button on his console. A dull thud shivered the floor, and someone gripped Bane’s shoulder. Kayos stood beside him, looking somewhat dazed.
Bane took hold of his arm, supporting him. “Are you all right?”
Kayos nodded, leaning on a console. “I will be. I was almost caught by the machine.”
Bane glanced through the shredder room window, where a woman lay on the floor. Her milky skin glowed in the harsh light and her silken black gown shimmered. Shining golden tresses framed her heart-shaped face and dark lashes fanned her cheeks. Her arms were draped across her slender contours, and she appeared as innocent as a sleeping child, her rosy lips slightly parted. She was the epitome of helpless beauty, exuding the unrivalled seductive power of a dark goddess, which no man could resist.
“His mistress,” Kayos said. “He is cautious.”
“Indeed.”
Sarjan and the contechs peered through the window at the lovely creature, their expressions awestruck and disbelieving. Several men swore and shot horrified glances at their commander.
Sarjan swung to face the man who sat at the shredder console. “What is she?”
“It’s a dra’voren!”
Bane said to Kayos, “Let them see me.”
The Grey God vanished, and Bane scowled at Sarjan. “Shred her.”
The commander cast him a wide-eyed glance. “But she’s -”
“Shred her!”
Sarjan gave the order, and the senior contech tapped another key on his control board. The lodestones emerged from their niches, and the chamber filled with hot blue light. Bane was forced to look away, as were the rest of the containment crew. After several tense minutes, the senior contech relaxed and typed on his keyboard, whereupon the light faded to reveal an empty room.
“She’s gone.”
Sarjan turned to Bane, looking confused and a little sheepish. “You said it would be a male dra’voren. I’ve never seen a female one.”
“It should have been a male, but even the best laid plans sometimes go astray.”
“She was... beautiful,” Sarjan mourned.
“They always are, but they are just as dangerous and evil as their male counterparts, though not as common.”
“I’ve never seen such -”
“Their power of seduction is one of their greatest weapons. Men worship them because of it, and end up on the sacrificial altar.”
Sarjan leant on a console and rubbed his forehead. “Two dra’voren in a matter of hours. That’s a record.”
“Keep obeying me, and it might be three before long.”
Sarjan lowered his hand. “You promised me a fiend.”
“And I shall give you one. Would you like it here?”
“No! Not here.”
“It will not be able to harm you,” Bane assured him.
“No. In the lab, if you don’t mind.”
“It makes no difference to me, but I have other matters to attend to, so I am in a hurry.”
“Right.” Sarjan straightened and addressed his crew. “Good work, men.”
The containment crew acknowledged their commander’s praise with stiff nods as he left, and Bane followed. Sarjan led him down the corridor and into a lift, which shot up several floors while the commander did his best to hide his intense dislike for Bane’s proximity in the little room.
When they left the lift, Sarjan headed down another of the seemingly endless corridors to a white-walled room Bane recognised as the same sort as the one in which he had confronted Drontar. Glass-paned cabinets lined it, along with more glowing screens, many filled with writing and numbers. A slight, astringent scent hung in the air, and the spotless white floor gleamed like glass. Men and women in white coats glanced up from their toil over strange instruments, and the droge languished in a glass-walled cubicle, chained to a chair. He watched Bane with cold eyes, then looked away. Several of the technicians cast Bane narrow-eyed glances, and a few left.
Sarjan stopped and faced Bane, clearly a little apprehensive. “You’re sure you can control it?”
“Of course. Is there any particular type you would prefer?”
“There are different types?”
Bane nodded. “Earth, air, fire and water; but I cannot summon an earth demon in here. This ship is not in contact with its element.”
“Does it make a difference?”
Bane shrugged, gazing at the vials on a table. “Fire demons are the most dangerous and aggressive, air demons are devious and cunning, and water demons are silent and stubborn.”
“And earth fiends?”
“They are the strongest and most brutal.”
Sarjan shook his head. “They all sound like monsters. You choose.”
“Very well, I shall summon a minor air demon.”
Bane murmured the words of summoning, selected a name from the many the dark power whispered in response to his wish, and spoke it. The air in front of him coalesced, forming a man-shape of pale vapour, its extremities tenuous, its eyes sparkling like diamonds. Sarjan backed away as the demon bowed to Bane and spoke in a hissing, sibilant tone.
“Lord, it is my honour to serve you.”
“Setiss. I am Bane, the Demon Lord. You will remain in this room until I dismiss you. You will obey these mortals, and you will offer them no harm. You will answer their questions truthfully in all matters, and you will allow them to examine you in any way they choose. You will do nothing else.”
The demon’s eyes flashed. “Lord.”
Bane turned to Sarjan. “Now I must leave.”
“Wait.” Sarjan eyed the demon. “Will it obey your orders after you leave?”
“Yes.”
“It’s just... air, isn’t it? And steam?”
“It is a noxious gas of some sort, usually mixed with sulphur, which is why it stinks. If you want to know more, study it.”
“Right.” Sarjan glanced at his minions, who stared at the demon with wide, horrified eyes. “Could you wait a few minutes?”
Bane folded his arms and sighed, a slight frown tugging at his brows. Sarjan turned to the demon and pointed to the far side of the room. “Go and stand over there.”
Setiss drifted across the room, making the people retreat.
Bane snorted. “You think I am lying, Sarjan?”
“It’s possible. It might kill us after you’re gone.”
“If I wanted you dead, I would do it myself, and you heard me give him the orders. He cannot disobey me, and now he cannot disobey you.”
“How dangerous is it?” Sarjan asked.
“He is only a minor demon. He could kill you one at a time, and you could not stop him. Your weapons would have no effect.”
“Is there no way to destroy it?”
“Only a dark god could do that.”
“What about the shredder room?”
Bane shook his head. “That would only vanquish him, which would release him from my summoning.”
“And then it could return and avenge its humiliation?”
“He could, but that is unlikely.”
Sarjan looked intrigued. “Why?”
“Because demons generally have better things to do, amusing themselves in man form, mostly. He will not find your examination humiliating, I assure you, and you cannot harm him. He will enjoy your fear and taunt you endlessly. He will play tricks on you to frighten you until you order him to stop, whereupon he will find something else to shock or scare you, unless your orders are too specific for him to circumvent. He is a demon; what do you expect?”
The commander nodded. “You say it’s a minor fiend, what could a larger one do?”
“A greater air demon would be able to kill everyone in this room within a few moments. They are a lot bigger and more powerful. Direct your questions to Setiss. He has all the answers you crave.”
Sarjan turned to the demon. “Setiss, come here.”
The demon swooped across the room and loomed over Sarjan, who retreated with a curse, bumped into a table and made the paraphernalia on it rattle.
Bane sighed. “Move away from the mortal, Setiss.”
Setiss drifted off with a hissing snigger, stopping a few feet away, where it regarded Sarjan with sparkling eyes. The commander glanced at Bane, who said, “You cannot be so vague with your orders. He will exploit your every mistake for his own amusement. Remember, he cannot harm you, so there is no need to fear him.”
“Right.”
“Now, I will leave you to your study. You may fly your ship back to your own country if you are in danger here.”
“I... Thank you. Will you be coming back?”
“I will have to dismiss Setiss, but whether or not I will allow you to see me remains to be decided. Why?”
Sarjan’s expression was uncertain, which Bane took to mean that he was torn by some inner conflict. “I’d like to ask you some more questions, if you don’t mind.”
“Is there any chance I can convince you that I am not a dra’voren?”
Sarjan frowned. “Perhaps.”
“Then if you wish to speak to me, say my name and ask me to come. I might.”
“Is that... praying?”
“Yes.”
Sarjan’s eyes hardened. “I’m not going to pray to you. You’re not a god. There are no such things as gods.”
“Then do not.” Bane swung away, and Kayos cast his shield over him.
The Grey God fell into step with him, smiling. “You waste your time.”
Bane left the aseptic room and strolled down a corridor, not particularly caring where it led. “Maybe. What are we going to do about Tolrar? He will not follow you into the shredder room now, and I have no wish to be stunned, even though Sarjan has sworn not to kill me.”
“You cannot trust him. Tolrar is hardly a challenge for you. Go and tear him apart, as you long to.”
Bane shot him a frown. “I do not long for that. I want him cast down, but if there was someone else who could do it, I would gladly let him.”
“Alas, there is no one else who can.”
“How fare Sherinias and Drevarin?”
“Afraid, but safe for now.”
“It is time I put an end to Tolrar.”
“Wait.” Kayos took hold of Bane’s arm, halting him. “If I go with you, I can distract him.”
“No. I do not need you to distract him, so stay away.”
“I will do as I wish.”
Bane shook his head. “Do not endanger yourself.”
“Do I look like a fool?”
“Not usually.”
Kayos smiled and released him. “Good luck.”
The Demon Lord rematerialised amid the billowing clouds of the light realm, some distance from Tolrar, who pounded on the birthing chamber with bolts of shadow that caused brilliant flares of blue incandescence, making Bane squint and avert his gaze. Remaining invisible, he walked up behind the dark god, who was too engrossed in his task to notice his presence.
Bane raised his hands and unleashed twin streams of black fire at the back of Tolrar’s head. The dark god gave a bellow of surprise and shock, and Bane cut his power before it fed Tolrar’s Gather. His foe whirled, the light eating away at his exposed dark form in a savage rush of blue flame. Bane became visible and lunged at him, seized his arm and started to Gather.
Tolrar howled and writhed as the white fire ate into him and Bane drained his power. He struggled to counter the double attack, but his droge form thinned and warped. His human face became translucent, revealing the darkness beneath it, in which his glowing yellow eyes flashed with fury. The remnants of his droge form faded away, and his dwindling arm shot out to slash at Bane’s eyes with claw-tipped fingers. The razor-sharp claws raked the side of Bane’s neck as he jerked his head aside. Tolrar roared a strange hissing name, and the hairs on the back of Bane’s nape bristled as he sensed a surge of power behind him that heralded the arrival of a dark entity. He released Tolrar and spun around.
A massive creature loomed over him, its sinuous neck arching as it opened jaws filled with crimson teeth, a ruddy glow emanating from its gullet. Tolrar vanished, and Bane Moved in the instant before the monster’s teeth closed upon him, rematerialising several yards away. The beast god snarled and headed towards him with gliding strides, its silver-clawed feet digging deep into the diamond sand. It resembled a great dragon, only larger and more fearsome, its black scales edged with crimson, long silver spikes bristling along the back of its neck and spine. It halted when Bane raised a shield between them, its green eyes gleaming with rage. The beast god eyed the shield, snorted a burst of flame, and vanished.
Bane stared at the spot where it had been for several moments, reviewing his narrow escape, then let the shield disperse. Kayos appeared nearby and approached him, scowling with concern and anger. Bane touched the scratches on the side of his neck and contemplated the blood on his fingers.
The Grey God stopped in front of him. “That was close.”
“How can Tolrar summon a beast god to his aid?”
“It must be his friend.”
Bane raised his brows. “How does one befriend a beast god?”
“With difficulty. The commonest way to gain such an ally is to make the beast a god before it is born, foster it and train it to use the dark power, thereby damning its soul, then slay it and raise it from the Land of the Dead, helping it to achieve its full power.”
“Like Arkonen did to me.”
“Almost. It is a formidable foe. Beast gods are just as intelligent as we are. It is one of the gifts of godhood.”
Bane fingered his wounds again. “But how did he summon it?”
“He must have forged a strong mind link with it, as Arkonen did with you. That is how he was able to enter your dreams and speak to you.”
“This makes defeating Tolrar a little more difficult.”
“A little?” Kayos smiled, placed his hand on Bane’s wounds and healed them in a flash of power. “Beast gods are dangerous, especially ones as large as a dragon. Tolrar was lucky his friend was asleep when he needed it, so he was able to summon it. Next time, he may not be so fortunate.”
“I will still have to get rid of it.”
Kayos nodded, then looked around as Drevarin and Sherinias emerged from the birthing chamber, the girl wan and shaking. She released Drevarin’s hand and ran to embrace Kayos, burying her face in his chest. He held her and stroked her hair.
Drevarin cast Bane a lopsided smile. “You almost had him.”
“Almost.”
“Next time you will defeat him.”
Bane gazed into the distance. “Now he knows about me, and he has a powerful ally.”
“We could make use of the mortals again,” Kayos suggested. “He does not know about them. Take him to the shredder room.”
“And be stunned.” Bane frowned. “I dislike the notion.”
“It may be your best option. Tolrar will keep his friend close to him now, and fighting both of them will be extremely dangerous, especially in the mid realm or dark realm. I will protect you from the mortals.”
“Beast gods do not enslave your kind, do they?”
Kayos shook his head. “They just kill us when they can.”
“Does that happen often?”
“No, but sometimes they ambush us. The darkness always longs to snuff out the light. They are strong, and sometimes render light gods senseless with the violence of their attack, then kill them. Beast gods rarely enter domains, though. They prefer to dwell in the God Realm, where they wander the wastes killing stray mortals and dark beasts. Whenever one rises in a dark realm, they inevitably lay waste to the domain and kill its owner, although, if a light god flees into the God Realm, he or she can sometimes give a beast god the slip and return to their domain. Beast gods are invariably savage, but they are reluctant to tangle with another dark god, whether he is beast or man. In that respect they are like demon gods. I think this one remains inactive because of its friend, who clearly wishes to stay here for the sport, otherwise it would have destroyed this domain long ago.”
“If Tolrar finds out about the ship, he will destroy it.”
“He will have to find it first, and the men on the ship know there is another dark god loose in the mid realm. They will be wary.”
Sherinias released Kayos and turned to Bane. “Bless you, My Lord, for saving us from that... monster.” She took his hand and raised it to her lips, then pressed it to her cheek and gazed up at him with adoring eyes.
Bane inclined his head and retrieved his hand as soon as he was able. “I only wish I had defeated him, My Lady.”
“You will.”
Kayos clasped Sherinias’ shoulder. “Come, let us rest now.”
Bane followed them to the gazebo, where he flopped down on a couch and summoned a cup of ambrosia. Sherinias shared Kayos’ cup again, making Bane wonder if she was unable to summon her own.
“We should close the world gate,” Kayos said. “Tolrar will not follow me here now that he knows about you, Bane. He must think you want this domain for yourself.”
“If I did, I would have let him and Jerriss catch and enslave you, then defeated him.”
“Not necessarily. Some enjoy the chase.”
Bane nodded and closed his eyes as the brilliance of the light realm made his head ache.