A Demon's Love

Chapter 34

Ghirahim sprinted down the busy streets, through the bustling crowds with only one goal in mind: the library. It might be their only shot at getting any information on the fourth shrine. This thought only pushed him to move faster. He turned left, entering a dark, narrow alley. This route has always proven to be an excellent shortcut in the past. Every seven feet were two narrow paths on each side of the alley; each path leading to a different part of town. Ghirahim ran through the alley, passing the alternate paths until he reached the one leading to the library. He dashed down the dirty cobblestone path, his feet splashing through small puddles as he ran. He stared down the path as the exit came into view. Moving faster still, he leapt from the alley into a spacious area. The sunlight temporarily blinded him. He held his hand to his face, blocking out the sun until his eyes could adjust. His vision slowly returned. Ahead , he saw the large rectangular building that was the library.

The air inside the library was cool compared to the heat outside. Ghirahim wiped the beads of sweat that had formed on his face and neck as he stepped onto the cold stone floor, closing the wooden door behind him. His eyes trailed along the many rows of wooden bookshelves; each filled to the brim with books, some old, some new. He listened to the sound of his quiet footsteps as he browsed the large selection of books, searching for one that might be of use to him. He pulled out a book with a brown leather cover, with a title that read "Demon Lore". 'Well this isn't even close to what I need.' He returned the book to it's place and slowly walked down the aisle, his eyes carefully scanning each piece of literature. After a few minutes of searching, he came across an old book. The cover was completely hidden by a thick layer of dust. It was obvious that nobody had touched this one for quite a while. The demon stared down at the dust in distaste before quickly wiping it off. His eyes traced along the golden letters that made up the title. "The Four Shrines." A satisfied smile worked it's way onto the demon lord's face as he flipped through the pages until he found one on the fourth shrine. 'Hmm... Let's see... Yes, I know that. Of course......... What?!' His eyes widened, his smile replaced by a scowl as he read. 'Of all places, it had to be there... This will not be a simple task... Master will be displeased.'

Link lay on the bed with Skai, watching the little guy sleep. 'Ghirahim has been gone for a while. How long does it take to find a book on something so well-known and important?' He rolled onto his side, gazing at the wall longingly. He desperately missed the company of his beloved partner. The room was utterly silent, except for the quiet breathing of the sleeping demon beside him. 'Perhaps I should go look for him... But there's a large possibility of getting lost. It's not like I've seen much of the town, just a few busy roads and such... Still... I can't help but feel a bit worried. Something just doesn't seem right...' Link stood from the bed, leaving the inn quietly to avoid disturbing anyone. As soon as he stepped from the building's exit, he felt a strange pull toward a distant path, as if he was being called to the place. Slowly and cautiously, he walked toward the path, inching closer and closer, until he stood close enough to get a good peek. The road seemed deserted; not a single soul wandered the cobblestone street. He stepped forward cautiously, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of danger. A few yards away, he saw a familiar shadow beginning to take shape. Ithzarus... The demon general shot him a menacing smirk as his hand became consumed by some sort of dark energy. Before Link could even blink, the energy was thrown at him at an incredible speed. An agonizing pain overtook his body, preventing him from moving. The general approached the boy, stroking his fingertips along the child's cheek. "With your sword spirit away and the extreme amount of power I threw at you, your chance of survival ceases to exist. Prepare yourself; you won't be alive much longer, boy." he said as he dispersed into thin air. All Link could see was darkness as he fell to the cold ground, unconscious.