to Move us out of here,” Majelin said, shaking him.
The stranger squinted at him, rubbing his head, apparently still dazed. “What?”
“Move us! Take us somewhere else, anywhere, before we are swallowed!”
“Swallowed? By what?”
“That!” Majelin pointed at the magma.
“Ugh.” The dark god raised his head to peer at the molten sea, his eyes widening a little. “Bloody hell.”
“Move us!”
“Um…” The man seemed confused. “Where are we?”
“How should I know? I woke up here too.”
The dark god levered himself up on his elbows. “Do not panic. We are in no danger.”
“No danger? What about that?” Majelin gestured to the magma again. “How hard did you hit your head?”
“Hard enough, but not so my brain is addled.” He looked down at the angel’s hand on his shoulder. “Although the situation seems to have stripped you of your fear of me.”
“If I do not touch you, will I be burnt?”
“No.”
Majelin snatched his hand away. “Then I have no wish to touch you.”
“I just saved your life.”
“So you can torment me.”
“No.” The dark god sighed. “I think we should establish some trust between us before I take us out of here, otherwise you will either try to murder me or flee as soon as I do.”
“This is not a good time for making friends.”
“Let us call it acquaintances, and it is an excellent time, actually. Fear not, you are in no danger as long as you are with me. I am Bane, the Demon Lord.”
“I do not care.”
“You are a tetchy one, huh?” Bane looked up. “Kayos watches us.” He smiled and waved.
“Kayos?”
“Yes. Grey God, silver hair, kind of bossy?”
“I know who Kayos is. Why is he watching you?”
“He worries about me,” Bane said. “I am, after all, his only dark son.”
“His da rk…” Majelin was flabbergasted.
Bane sighed. “Things did not go according to plan, but then, they seldom do.” His eyes became intent upon the glowing cavern wall on the far side of the magma sea, and he pointed at some bright yellow patterns on it. “There, you see those? Runes. This place is protected by a concealment spell. It can only be to prevent a god from rescuing anyone cast into this trap, although whether they could reach them quickly enough is debateable… perhaps, if the victim was a black mage. Odd, though.”
“ Trap?”
“Yes. That is how we ended up here. It is a dark trap set by Torvaran. When I came to rescue you, I triggered it, and here we are, in a whole heap of hot rock.” Bane spread his hands on the red-hot stone, and it turned black. A shield of dark power swept up around them, cutting off the red glare and awful vista. “There, that is better. Now we can get to know each other a bit.”
“A captive audience.”
“You are not my captive, Majelin, although it may look like it right now. You are free to leave if you can. I saved you at your wife’s request; a lovely and courageous lady, Sarmalin.”
Majelin edged away and leant against the curving shield. “She begged for your aid?”
“Yes. Very prettily.”
“I do not believe you. Have you captured her too? Did she try to come to my rescue?”
Bane shook his head. “You should not discount everything I say as a lie. It is rude.”
“Forgive my scepticism. I have been a dark god’s prisoner for five centuries.”
“Yes, I am sure that was hell. I do not blame you for being suspicious. If you summon that shiny sword you angels use, however, you will be in more than a spot of bother.”
“As will you.”
“True.” Bane inclined his head. “Although I think I am quick enough to Move before you can use it, and you will be a cinder shortly thereafter.”
“You are not comforting me.”
“I know. I am tired of being regarded as a monster by the children of the light when I am anything but.” He paused. “Do you know what tar’merin is?”
“Yes. You are claiming to be one?”
“Yes. The sooner you believe me, the sooner we can
The stranger squinted at him, rubbing his head, apparently still dazed. “What?”
“Move us! Take us somewhere else, anywhere, before we are swallowed!”
“Swallowed? By what?”
“That!” Majelin pointed at the magma.
“Ugh.” The dark god raised his head to peer at the molten sea, his eyes widening a little. “Bloody hell.”
“Move us!”
“Um…” The man seemed confused. “Where are we?”
“How should I know? I woke up here too.”
The dark god levered himself up on his elbows. “Do not panic. We are in no danger.”
“No danger? What about that?” Majelin gestured to the magma again. “How hard did you hit your head?”
“Hard enough, but not so my brain is addled.” He looked down at the angel’s hand on his shoulder. “Although the situation seems to have stripped you of your fear of me.”
“If I do not touch you, will I be burnt?”
“No.”
Majelin snatched his hand away. “Then I have no wish to touch you.”
“I just saved your life.”
“So you can torment me.”
“No.” The dark god sighed. “I think we should establish some trust between us before I take us out of here, otherwise you will either try to murder me or flee as soon as I do.”
“This is not a good time for making friends.”
“Let us call it acquaintances, and it is an excellent time, actually. Fear not, you are in no danger as long as you are with me. I am Bane, the Demon Lord.”
“I do not care.”
“You are a tetchy one, huh?” Bane looked up. “Kayos watches us.” He smiled and waved.
“Kayos?”
“Yes. Grey God, silver hair, kind of bossy?”
“I know who Kayos is. Why is he watching you?”
“He worries about me,” Bane said. “I am, after all, his only dark son.”
“His da rk…” Majelin was flabbergasted.
Bane sighed. “Things did not go according to plan, but then, they seldom do.” His eyes became intent upon the glowing cavern wall on the far side of the magma sea, and he pointed at some bright yellow patterns on it. “There, you see those? Runes. This place is protected by a concealment spell. It can only be to prevent a god from rescuing anyone cast into this trap, although whether they could reach them quickly enough is debateable… perhaps, if the victim was a black mage. Odd, though.”
“ Trap?”
“Yes. That is how we ended up here. It is a dark trap set by Torvaran. When I came to rescue you, I triggered it, and here we are, in a whole heap of hot rock.” Bane spread his hands on the red-hot stone, and it turned black. A shield of dark power swept up around them, cutting off the red glare and awful vista. “There, that is better. Now we can get to know each other a bit.”
“A captive audience.”
“You are not my captive, Majelin, although it may look like it right now. You are free to leave if you can. I saved you at your wife’s request; a lovely and courageous lady, Sarmalin.”
Majelin edged away and leant against the curving shield. “She begged for your aid?”
“Yes. Very prettily.”
“I do not believe you. Have you captured her too? Did she try to come to my rescue?”
Bane shook his head. “You should not discount everything I say as a lie. It is rude.”
“Forgive my scepticism. I have been a dark god’s prisoner for five centuries.”
“Yes, I am sure that was hell. I do not blame you for being suspicious. If you summon that shiny sword you angels use, however, you will be in more than a spot of bother.”
“As will you.”
“True.” Bane inclined his head. “Although I think I am quick enough to Move before you can use it, and you will be a cinder shortly thereafter.”
“You are not comforting me.”
“I know. I am tired of being regarded as a monster by the children of the light when I am anything but.” He paused. “Do you know what tar’merin is?”
“Yes. You are claiming to be one?”
“Yes. The sooner you believe me, the sooner we can
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