"He will not, because he is both
a wolf, and a chicken."
Bane laughed softly again,
making Martal frown.
He looked thoughtful. "Unless of
course, you get rid of the second wolf when he has finished off the
first, which, since he is really a chicken, would not be too
hard."
Bane growled, "Martal, if you
are going to plot my death, at least do it where I cannot hear
you."
Ellese gave the portly Baron a
reproachful look. "No one will harm Bane."
"You are taking a big risk,
Ellese."
"I do not share your view."
"Did you see what he just did
out there?"
"Yes, he protected us."
Martal snorted. "He protected
himself. He was the one they came here to kill."
She sighed. "Let me explain
something to you, Baron. The Black Lord thought Bane was on the
brink of death. He had no idea we had healed him. He thought his
army would be able to kill Bane while he was too weak to defend
himself or escape. But, since he has been healed, Bane is quite
capable of using the dark power to Move instantly to another place.
He did not have to protect the abbey."
"Unless he needs you to care for
him while he recuperates."
"He does not," Ellese and Bane
said in unison.
"He needed you to heal him when
he came here."
Bane opened his eyes and raised
an arm, pointing a finger at Martal, who stiffened, raising his
chin in a show of bravado. A faint frisson of dark power chilled
the room, and Ellese cast a worried glance at the Demon Lord.
"Get out," he said.
Martal hesitated, frowning, then
stomped out. Ellese relaxed as the chilling power vanished, and
Bane's arm dropped to his side, his eyes closing once more.
"He is afraid of you," she
assured him again in an attempt to soothe his anger at Martal's
ill-advised words.
"He should be. If he keeps
goading me, he may rue it."
"I know you will not harm
him."
"Then you know more than I."
She smiled. "Perhaps I do."
Mirra stood beside the fireplace
in the room behind the altar that she had shared with Bane,
wondering what lay in store for her next. She had her suspicions,
based on the foul exhibition she had witnessed, and they did not
bear thinking about. Two female droges had brought her here and
left sniggering, which added to her trepidation. Many of the runes
on the walls glowed, but not the same ones Bane had used, and she
wondered what function they served.
The door opened, and the Black
Lord entered, clad in a bright blue, silver-patterned shirt and
crimson breeches. Whatever his ideas of beauty were, his dress
sense was distinctly lacking. He smiled and wandered over to her,
glancing at the silken bed. Stopping before her, he let his eyes
roam over her in a sickening manner, a leer twisting his lips.
"So, now it is time for the next
entertainment of the evening. I trust you have been looking forward
to it?"
Deciding that this was not the
time to keep silent, she raised her chin. "Why should I?"
He chuckled. "Why indeed? You
have no idea of the pleasures of the flesh, do you, little
maid?"
"Why would you wish to give me
pleasure?"
"Ah! A good point. In fact, I
doubt you will enjoy it all that much, do not worry. And tomorrow
you will hate yourself. I was of course referring to my pleasure.
Yours will be tainted by that puritanical little mind of yours.
However, such pursuits as I have planned open the body and mind to
the dark power, and will speed your corruption. Your immunity is
indeed strong. That which caused the slight transformation of your
arm would have utterly changed a normal human within a few seconds.
This will speed it greatly."
Arkonen walked over to a table
covered with platters of roast meat and vegetables and picked up a
bottle of wine, pouring two cups. He returned to her and held one
out. "Drink it."
Mirra took it and tossed it into
the fire.
He sighed, sipping his own. "You
plan to be tiresome, then. I do not enjoy reluctance or even
defiance, contrary to popular folklore. I like my women willing,
and none can resist me, I assure you, not even you."
"You think you can seduce
me?"
"I know I can. The dark power
aids me, and I am the handsomest man you have ever seen, am I
not?"
"No. Bane surpasses you."
"Rubbish!" His
eyes narrowed. "A lie,
healer? The Lady will punish you."
"No, it is not a lie. Many
people would think you handsomer, but to me, he is the most
beautiful man in the world. Also, he is alive, while you are long
since dead, and should have stayed in the Land of the Dead. You
revolt me."
He frowned. "That is
unfortunate. But the body is a fickle ally to the mind, girl. It
can be made to enjoy what the mind does not. The human women who
were brought to my bed in the Underworld learnt to enjoy my touch,
though they feared me."
"You corrupted them with your
foulness. It does not work on me."
"Not yet, but in time it will,
when your body has been opened to it."
"Bane will come for me."
Arkonen laughed. "Your precious
Bane is too badly injured to challenge me now. If he is stupid
enough to come here, I will kill him. But he will not, because he
cares naught for you. Has he ever shown you any sign of affection?
Has he ever looked upon you kindly, even once? No.
"He cannot,
and he never will. I made him what he is. Do you think I would
allow him to be swayed by weak emotions? Your imagination has
played tricks on you if you thought he felt something more for you
than curiosity, and he used your weakness to survive. You are
nothing but a silly little girl, so you can give up your idiotic
dream that he will rescue you. Come." He put down his
win
e cup and held out a hand.
"Enough foolishness; let us begin."
Mirra backed away, but he closed
the gap in two strides and grabbed her wrist, yanking her close.
She sensed almost no evil from him. Evidently he had leashed it
well, knowing its nauseating effect on humans. Her reaction to his
proximity and intentions was immediate and instinctive, however.
She raised her free hand and raked her fingernails down his face.
The pseudo flesh tore like putty, leaving bloodless furrows in its
substance. He recoiled with a curse, then slapped her hard enough
to make her gasp, tears stinging her eyes. The furrows vanished,
and he glared at her, his expression furious.
"Violence,
healer?
Your kind takes an oath to do no harm. You break your Lady's
laws."
She clutched her burning cheek.
"We do no harm to the living."
"You would do well to apply that
oath to me, or your life will become forfeit."
"I do not fear death. It would
be preferable to what you have planned for me." Mirra quailed
inwardly as she spoke the words.
"I will kill you in good time,
when your soul belongs to me. Then perhaps I will grant you a droge
body so you may continue to serve me."
"My soul belongs to the Lady,
and she will never release it into your foul keeping."
"We will see about that. Many of
the women who were brought to me spoke those exact words, but they
all learnt to worship me."
"I am a healer."
He smiled. "A pleasant
challenge."
Arkonen lunged for her and
grabbed her wrists, pushed her against the wall and pinned her
there. Terror and loathing swamped her, and she struggled
ferociously, kicking him in the shins with all her might. He
growled and pinned her legs with his own, pressing her hard against
the wall. Her struggles clearly annoyed him, but he persevered,
trapping her wrists with one hand so he could caress her with the
other.
"Relax; it will be so much
easier." His soft, seductive voice made her shudder.
"Your touch sickens me."
"Resistance is foolish."
As his hand slid up her neck to
cup her cheek, she turned her head and sank her teeth into it. He
snatched it away, leaving a chunk of it in her mouth, which she
spat out with a grimace of disgust. He released her and stepped
back to rub the injury, restoring it. His eyes met hers, the red
glow flaring in their depths.
"Evidently other methods are
necessary. But beware; there are worse fates than becoming my
chattel, even than death. You would do well to remember who I
am."
"A vile, long-dead Underworld
monster."
His fist hit her jaw and knocked
her into the wall. Everything went black.
The Demon Lord woke from a deep,
exhausted sleep, and opened his eyes to find a strange elder healer
watching him. She rose and went out, returning a few minutes later
with a bowl of porridge and Elder Mother. Ellese smiled when he sat
up to eat, clearly pleased that he looked more rested, his colour
improved. She dismissed the healer and settled on the chair beside
him.
"How are you feeling?"
"Not strong enough to do battle
with the Black Lord yet."
Her smile became strained.
"Mirra still lives."
"You have been spying on
Arkonen?"
"Yes."
"A dangerous pastime, now that
the wards no longer bind him below."
"It was worth the risk."
He shook his head. "I do not
recommend it."
"I had to find out if she was
all right."
"I could have told you that she
is still alive, but I assure you, she is not all right."
"No." She looked down at her
clasped hands. "He has abused her."
"He will try
to corrupt her, but he will not kill her
as long as he knows I am still alive."
"Can you save her?"
He shot her a sharp glance, then
continued to eat his porridge.
Ellese bit her lip. "Of course
you can, stupid question. I am just concerned about her. She is
like a daughter to me. But he cannot corrupt her. She has the power
to resist him." Bane ignored her, and she changed the subject. "You
must rest today, regain your strength. Perhaps tomorrow..."
He shook his head. "I have
things to do, and tomorrow will be too soon."
"How long -"
"Perhaps the day after."
"But Mirra... Could you not
bring her back now? Surely you have the strength for that."
"She is in the room behind the
altar of the Old Kingdom temple, where there are many runes on the
walls. He will have set the runes to kill her the moment I enter
it."
"But she is immune to the dark
power."
Bane sighed, irritated. "I am
aware of that. The runes will open an ancient channel to the
Underworld, a Fetch that was put in place by those who built the
temple, and she will be plunged into the deepest pit. Even she will
not survive that."
Ellese looked crestfallen. "Then
how do you intend to rescue her?"
Bane gazed at her, weighing his
words before he spoke them. "I shall summon some demons. Arkonen
will take her out of the room sooner or later, and they will be my
spies."
"Does the Black Lord not control
all the demons?"
"No. Only those he has summoned.
They are not willing servants. Most are out sporting with
humans."
"Could you send one of them to
-"
"No. They cannot enter the room,
and they cannot Move as I can. They must travel in their true form
or go below and re-emerge, and they cannot take a mortal with
them."
Ellese slumped, then looked up
again. "The Black Lord has snatched people from the Overworld many
times. Can you do that?"
"Of course." He put down the
empty bowl. "But the runes in that room will react to my power and
kill her. Also, Fetching only works from the Underworld. I would
have to go below to do it, and then bring her here by Moving."
"But if she leaves the room
-"
"He will be with her. It takes
time to create a channel for a Fetch, and he will sense it. Then he
will either try to block it, or kill her. If he tries to block it,
she will be torn apart." Bane considered. "There is of course a
Summoning. That would work."
"So why not do that? Does it
require a great deal of power?"
"Yes. Summoning a mortal also
requires a blood sacrifice."
"Oh. I see. That is out of the
question, of course." She frowned. "How do you know where she is
being held? Are you also watching Arkonen?"
"No. He would sense it if I did,
as he can sense your eyes upon him. He can also block my Eye and
your spying, that he chooses not to only shows that he wishes you
to see what he is doing to her. I have no wish to see it, since I
can do nothing to prevent it at the moment. I know him. I know what
he will do."
"So there is nothing you can do
until you are ready to face him?"
"No."
"Did he use a Summoning to take
her when she left the temple, when you were fighting him?"
"Yes. He must
have performed two sacrifices before the battle, one to
summon the soldier he used to taunt
me, the other to summon her as soon as she stepped off the hallowed
ground. He planned it."
"Poor Mirra." She sighed.
Bane found his boots under the
bed and pulled them on, then donned his shirt and stood a little
unsteadily, reaching for his cloak. Ellese rose as he clipped it
on.
"Where are you going?"
"To summon some demons."
Elder Mother recoiled as he
vanished with a soft inrush of air and a sickening surge of
power.
Bane reappeared in the midst of
the army of dark folk that camped just beyond the forest, out of
sight of the abbey. They were the ones who had bowed to him and
received mercy, and they cowered at his sudden appearance,
gibbering and moaning. He raked them with a hard glance, noting the
glowing red eyes that watched him from the wood, where the dark
creatures that had chosen to worship him hid.