Demon Lord IV - Lord of Shadows Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: T C Southwell
under the attack of the black mage who
stood a few paces away, hurling bolts of shadow with vicious
gestures. The surge of dark power that accompanied Bane made the
warlock look around, and his eyes widened. Bane raised his hands,
and the mage tried to Move, but did not complete the first gesture.
The dark power engulfed him, blackened his skin and crisped his
hair, and he died with a choked howl.
Kimera let her
shields fall and slumped against the podium, sobbing. Bane walked
over to her.
"He is
dead."
Kimera nodded,
but continued to weep, covering her face. Bane studied the half
completed ward carved into the stone podium, lines of runes
circling it. He recognised some of them, and could decipher a
little of their meaning. Mostly they were for protection and
strength, adding to the ward's already considerable power. He
looked down at Kimera.
"I cannot stay
long. Are you unharmed?"
She wiped her
eyes and nodded again, then rose to her feet, her face pale with
shock. "Thank you for coming."
"I said that I
would." His eyes swept over her. "But you did not believe me."
"I did not
think that my life was worth your intervention."
"It is not,
but the ward is."
"Of course."
She clasped her hands to still their trembling.
Bane glanced
at the incomplete ward again, noticing the chisel and hammer that
lay beside it. "You use tools?"
"I am not a
stone master."
"How long
before it is finished?"
"A day,
perhaps two."
Bane nodded.
"Good."
"How fair the
others?"
"Well." He
turned and walked away. "I must go."
Kimera raised
her hand in a forlorn gesture of farewell which he did not see, and
after ten paces, he vanished, his power making her shiver. She
glanced at the body of the mage and shuddered, recalling how close
she had been to death herself before Bane had appeared.
Kayos
straightened when Bane vanished from the Eye, a slight frown
tugging at his brows, and Syrin rose to stand behind him and gaze
into it. Mirra tensed, and Mithran put a soothing hand on her
shoulder. Within moments, a new image formed as the Eye followed
Bane to the ruined arena in Rith Forest. After the brief
confrontation, Syrin returned to her seat on the bed, and Kayos
leant back in his chair once more.
The door burst
open, and the high priestess tottered in, clutching her chest. "A
hound!" she gasped. "Beyond the hallowed ground. Vorkon has found
you, My Lord."
Kayos stood
and dismissed the Eye. "Flee at once, high priestess."
"Yes, My
Lord."
As soon as she
had left, Kayos turned to Syrin. "I would prefer that you left this
domain."
She cast him a
coy smile. "You fear for me?"
"No, I fear
for those with whom you will meddle."
Her eyes
glinted. "Like the villagers I saved?"
"Bane saved
them, not you."
"I will not
leave." She pouted, then stepped into the air and vanished.
Kayos held out
his hands to the three people, who snatched up their possessions
and grasped them. They reappeared in a church that was as far away
from the one that he had just left as he could find. This time he
chose to remain invisible, not wishing to reveal his presence, even
to the priestesses. He disliked interacting with mortals, finding
it tedious at best, and tiresome when they clamoured for his
blessing. Besides, this was Drayshina's domain, and too many
sightings of him would gain him worshippers that he did not want.
Keeping his companions within the shroud of invisibility, he
wandered through the church until he found another empty cell to
settle in, where he sat once more and created an Eye.
Vorkon glared
down at the six black mages who knelt before him, then glanced
around at the demons and droges that attended him. He stood outside
the vast temple of black rock that he had raised around the Source
that he had created, deep within the kingdom of Daord. The mages
could not enter it, the dark power inside was too intense.
"You are
useless!" he shouted at the warlocks, who cowered. "Eleven of your
number he has already slain, and still you
stood a few paces away, hurling bolts of shadow with vicious
gestures. The surge of dark power that accompanied Bane made the
warlock look around, and his eyes widened. Bane raised his hands,
and the mage tried to Move, but did not complete the first gesture.
The dark power engulfed him, blackened his skin and crisped his
hair, and he died with a choked howl.
Kimera let her
shields fall and slumped against the podium, sobbing. Bane walked
over to her.
"He is
dead."
Kimera nodded,
but continued to weep, covering her face. Bane studied the half
completed ward carved into the stone podium, lines of runes
circling it. He recognised some of them, and could decipher a
little of their meaning. Mostly they were for protection and
strength, adding to the ward's already considerable power. He
looked down at Kimera.
"I cannot stay
long. Are you unharmed?"
She wiped her
eyes and nodded again, then rose to her feet, her face pale with
shock. "Thank you for coming."
"I said that I
would." His eyes swept over her. "But you did not believe me."
"I did not
think that my life was worth your intervention."
"It is not,
but the ward is."
"Of course."
She clasped her hands to still their trembling.
Bane glanced
at the incomplete ward again, noticing the chisel and hammer that
lay beside it. "You use tools?"
"I am not a
stone master."
"How long
before it is finished?"
"A day,
perhaps two."
Bane nodded.
"Good."
"How fair the
others?"
"Well." He
turned and walked away. "I must go."
Kimera raised
her hand in a forlorn gesture of farewell which he did not see, and
after ten paces, he vanished, his power making her shiver. She
glanced at the body of the mage and shuddered, recalling how close
she had been to death herself before Bane had appeared.
Kayos
straightened when Bane vanished from the Eye, a slight frown
tugging at his brows, and Syrin rose to stand behind him and gaze
into it. Mirra tensed, and Mithran put a soothing hand on her
shoulder. Within moments, a new image formed as the Eye followed
Bane to the ruined arena in Rith Forest. After the brief
confrontation, Syrin returned to her seat on the bed, and Kayos
leant back in his chair once more.
The door burst
open, and the high priestess tottered in, clutching her chest. "A
hound!" she gasped. "Beyond the hallowed ground. Vorkon has found
you, My Lord."
Kayos stood
and dismissed the Eye. "Flee at once, high priestess."
"Yes, My
Lord."
As soon as she
had left, Kayos turned to Syrin. "I would prefer that you left this
domain."
She cast him a
coy smile. "You fear for me?"
"No, I fear
for those with whom you will meddle."
Her eyes
glinted. "Like the villagers I saved?"
"Bane saved
them, not you."
"I will not
leave." She pouted, then stepped into the air and vanished.
Kayos held out
his hands to the three people, who snatched up their possessions
and grasped them. They reappeared in a church that was as far away
from the one that he had just left as he could find. This time he
chose to remain invisible, not wishing to reveal his presence, even
to the priestesses. He disliked interacting with mortals, finding
it tedious at best, and tiresome when they clamoured for his
blessing. Besides, this was Drayshina's domain, and too many
sightings of him would gain him worshippers that he did not want.
Keeping his companions within the shroud of invisibility, he
wandered through the church until he found another empty cell to
settle in, where he sat once more and created an Eye.
Vorkon glared
down at the six black mages who knelt before him, then glanced
around at the demons and droges that attended him. He stood outside
the vast temple of black rock that he had raised around the Source
that he had created, deep within the kingdom of Daord. The mages
could not enter it, the dark power inside was too intense.
"You are
useless!" he shouted at the warlocks, who cowered. "Eleven of your
number he has already slain, and still you