leave. I am keen to do so. My head hurts.”
“There has never been a mortal tar’merin,” Majelin said. He wanted to believe Bane, if only because the alternative was too horrific to contemplate, and what he had done made a lot more sense if he was what he claimed.
Bane spread his hands. “I cannot prove what I am, but if you will trust me and swear not to attack me or flee, I will Move us to the light realm. There you will be healed, and meet Kayos and Drevarin, and, of course, Pretarin’s daughter, Sherinias.”
“She has been born? How?”
“Kayos did it. I do not know how. It is a Grey God thing, I suspect.”
Majelin contemplated the dark god, whose dark aura had a pale patina, but that could be an illusion, or delusion. Perhaps this was too outlandish to be anything other than the truth, and he hoped it was. Bane could have killed him already, and, although there was still a slim chance it was all a ruse, he doubted it more and more.
“Are you convinced yet?” Bane enquired. “I would really like to leave.”
Majelin inclined his head. “I would, too.”
“Then give me your word that you will not try to kill me or flee as soon as we do, and I will Move us.”
“Why must I swear not to flee if you are tar’merin?”
“All right, you may flee if you wish, but then you will not meet Kayos. Please yourself, though, just do not try to kill me. You are unlikely to succeed, and more likely to end up dead, which will defeat the whole purpose of this exercise.”
Majelin nodded again. “Very well; I swear it.”
“Then let us go.” Bane held out his hand and, when Majelin eyed it doubtfully, added, “You have to touch me to Move with me.”
The archangel shuddered, but grasped Bane’s hand.
The Demon Lord looked vague for a moment, then frowned. “Well, that is odd.”
“What? Nothing happened.”
“I noticed that too. That is what is odd. Apparently there are more wards in this trap than I thought, and one of them prevents Moving. Perhaps it was intended to hold a god.”
Majelin freed his hand and scowled. “Then why are there no other gods here?”
“That is a good question. Perhaps no others fell in, or maybe they perished.”
“How could they die? Could this kill you?”
“No, but then, I am a dark god. Perhaps a light god would be in more trouble than me.”
“How much trouble are you in?” Majelin asked, dreading the answer.
“I am uncertain. It depends on whether or not there is a way to escape this cavern. If not, I am in quite a lot of trouble, as are you.”
“Will you die of hunger?”
Bane snorted. “Certainly not, unless…” He gestured, and a golden cup appeared in his hand. “Ah. Good. Not that I am planning to spend that much time in here.” He sipped from it, looking thoughtful. “So, we just need to find a way out.”
“I saw no tunnels.”
“How hard did you look?”
“We should probably look again.”
Bane dismissed the cup, and the shield lowered to reveal the glowing cavern once more. Majelin searched the oozing walls, which appeared to be solid, as did the roof. How had they got in here, then? Presumably whatever power had brought them here did not need an entrance, and he shuddered at the thought that they had passed through solid rock, glad he did not recall it.
Bane surveyed the swirling sea. “Quite possibly our only way out is down the drain.”
“Down the… You jest!”
“I wish I did. Do you see another way?”
Majelin shook his head. “But we do not know where it goes, or even if it goes anywhere.”
“It must go somewhere. Let us just hope it does not pass through the domain’s boundary.”
“Why?”
“Because then we will be fried to a crisp.” Bane rose to his feet, and the shield vanished.
“What are you doing?”
“Having a better look around.”
“And?”
“You are right. There is no way out of this thing. It is down the drain for us.”
Majelin stared at the swirling magma. “What if it
“There has never been a mortal tar’merin,” Majelin said. He wanted to believe Bane, if only because the alternative was too horrific to contemplate, and what he had done made a lot more sense if he was what he claimed.
Bane spread his hands. “I cannot prove what I am, but if you will trust me and swear not to attack me or flee, I will Move us to the light realm. There you will be healed, and meet Kayos and Drevarin, and, of course, Pretarin’s daughter, Sherinias.”
“She has been born? How?”
“Kayos did it. I do not know how. It is a Grey God thing, I suspect.”
Majelin contemplated the dark god, whose dark aura had a pale patina, but that could be an illusion, or delusion. Perhaps this was too outlandish to be anything other than the truth, and he hoped it was. Bane could have killed him already, and, although there was still a slim chance it was all a ruse, he doubted it more and more.
“Are you convinced yet?” Bane enquired. “I would really like to leave.”
Majelin inclined his head. “I would, too.”
“Then give me your word that you will not try to kill me or flee as soon as we do, and I will Move us.”
“Why must I swear not to flee if you are tar’merin?”
“All right, you may flee if you wish, but then you will not meet Kayos. Please yourself, though, just do not try to kill me. You are unlikely to succeed, and more likely to end up dead, which will defeat the whole purpose of this exercise.”
Majelin nodded again. “Very well; I swear it.”
“Then let us go.” Bane held out his hand and, when Majelin eyed it doubtfully, added, “You have to touch me to Move with me.”
The archangel shuddered, but grasped Bane’s hand.
The Demon Lord looked vague for a moment, then frowned. “Well, that is odd.”
“What? Nothing happened.”
“I noticed that too. That is what is odd. Apparently there are more wards in this trap than I thought, and one of them prevents Moving. Perhaps it was intended to hold a god.”
Majelin freed his hand and scowled. “Then why are there no other gods here?”
“That is a good question. Perhaps no others fell in, or maybe they perished.”
“How could they die? Could this kill you?”
“No, but then, I am a dark god. Perhaps a light god would be in more trouble than me.”
“How much trouble are you in?” Majelin asked, dreading the answer.
“I am uncertain. It depends on whether or not there is a way to escape this cavern. If not, I am in quite a lot of trouble, as are you.”
“Will you die of hunger?”
Bane snorted. “Certainly not, unless…” He gestured, and a golden cup appeared in his hand. “Ah. Good. Not that I am planning to spend that much time in here.” He sipped from it, looking thoughtful. “So, we just need to find a way out.”
“I saw no tunnels.”
“How hard did you look?”
“We should probably look again.”
Bane dismissed the cup, and the shield lowered to reveal the glowing cavern once more. Majelin searched the oozing walls, which appeared to be solid, as did the roof. How had they got in here, then? Presumably whatever power had brought them here did not need an entrance, and he shuddered at the thought that they had passed through solid rock, glad he did not recall it.
Bane surveyed the swirling sea. “Quite possibly our only way out is down the drain.”
“Down the… You jest!”
“I wish I did. Do you see another way?”
Majelin shook his head. “But we do not know where it goes, or even if it goes anywhere.”
“It must go somewhere. Let us just hope it does not pass through the domain’s boundary.”
“Why?”
“Because then we will be fried to a crisp.” Bane rose to his feet, and the shield vanished.
“What are you doing?”
“Having a better look around.”
“And?”
“You are right. There is no way out of this thing. It is down the drain for us.”
Majelin stared at the swirling magma. “What if it
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