Demon Lord V - God Realm Read Free Page B

would be dangers the band of scruffy humans could not hope to
defeat for long. He was not certain exactly what affect the
shackles would have on Bane, apart from preventing the use of his
power, but that was bad enough. Bane was unusual not only in his
mortality, but also in his upbringing. Pain and betrayal had
tempered him, then love had saved him. He knew what it was to be
powerless, but never when he had needed it to protect himself.
    Turning away
from the trap, Kayos told Mirra and Mithran what he had seen in the
Eye. They slumped with relief, and Mithran patted Mirra's shoulder
with an encouraging smile. His assurance did not appear to hearten
her much, and Kayos suspected that he was equally perturbed, but
hid it better.
    "What will you
do?" she asked.
    "Follow him.
It is the only way to find him in the God Realm, but it will not be
easy. The people he is with are moving, which makes it worse."
    Kayos chose a
spot far enough from the trap so he did not trigger it, and began a
Shaping. Taking hold of the God Realm's substance, he moulded and
bent it to his will, making it flow like water in his mind. Kayos
had dreamt many domains into being, and what he did now was
similar, except he was awake, and he lacked the power source of a
Realm Seed. A Shaping took vast amounts of power, and it flowed
from him in rivers of shining rainbow light. His use of it made him
a beacon far brighter than any other in the God Realm, and many
would be drawn to him.
    The ground
oozed open, as if parted by a giant hand, to form a tunnel that
angled downwards, filled with pearly light. He stepped into it, and
the little group followed aboard the steeds. It parted before him
and closed behind. Within the glowing pocket, he descended swiftly,
wishing not only to find Bane, but also to leave his foes
behind.
     
    Bane glanced
at Ethra, puzzled. When he had sensed the Eye, he could have sworn
that she had glanced in its direction as well, although she might
have been following his gaze. Now that they were on the move, the
group was a lot edgier, peering into the darkness and jumping at
shadows. From this, he deduced that they were usually attacked
while travelling, when their light was less without the big fire
they built when they camped. He sharpened his sight to look into
the gloom, which appeared to be empty for the moment. They passed
many crumbling bones, some huge and alien.
    The darkness
twitched and the world spun. Bane staggered sideways, collided with
the burly man and sent him sprawling with a curse. The group
stopped, and four crossbows swung to point at Bane, who continued
to stagger. He tripped over the brawny man's legs and fell to his
knees. The sensation of spinning stopped, but the giddiness
remained, and he clasped his pounding temples. The dark power
within him surged, and the bands on his wrists glowed. Artan strode
over to him, his crossbow ready.
    "What is
it?"
    Bane shook his
head, needles of pain lancing his brain. "I do not know. Something
changed. Everything moved. We are no longer going in the same
direction."
    Artan glanced
around. "Nothing has changed."
    "It has. We
were going that way before." Bane pointed to the right.
    "And how do
you know this?"
    "I just
do."
    Artan snorted.
"Are you a seer, too?"
    "No. But I
sensed it."
    Artan looked
at Ethra, who shook her head. "I sensed nothing. He's lying."
    "Why would I
lie?" Bane demanded.
    "Perhaps you
wish us to go in circles," Artan said.
    "Why would I
want that?"
    "Who knows?
Get up, we must continue."
    Bane rose to
his feet. "This is a trap. We are being made to go in circles while
the creatures of darkness feed. You will never escape it unless you
let me guide you."
    Artan snorted,
glancing back down the trail. "Look at our tracks, they don't
turn."
    Bane followed
his gaze and nodded. "Yes, I have seen this before. The track goes
straight, but the world turns."
    "Madness,"
Ethra said. "He seeks to mislead us."
    The Demon Lord
swung around as a high-pitched thrumming