A Demon's Love

Chapter 40

Upon arrival to their room, Link flopped into bed and fell asleep; exhausted from the day's events. Ghirahim walked over to his book. 'I suppose this is no longer any use to me. I shall return it.' He looked at Link, who was sound asleep. 'Master should be alright for a short while. Shouldn't take long to return it, and would be best to do so soon before the storm arrives.' Putting his hand on the door knob, Ghirahim stared affectionately at his sleeping master before quietly shutting the door behind him.

 He listened to the sound of his footsteps as he walked down the hall, towards the inn lobby. As he entered the lobby, he saw Rucht talking to an unfamiliar female. She was a bit shorter than Rucht, with tan skin and brown hair. Her eyes were completely black, making it seem like she didn't even have eyes.  She wore a purple, knee-length dress. Judging by her looks, Ghirahim assumed she visits from another village."Heyyyyy buddy!!" Rucht said, waving to Ghirahim. The demon lord raised a hand to his friend as he continued approaching the exit. "This is Scarlet!!" Rucht said, gesturing to the girl. She looked at the demon lord, smiling slightly. He smiled back as he pushed the door open and exited the building.

The air outside was chilly, with an evil aura blowing in the wind. Ghirahim shuddered. 'The air feel strange...' His attention was turned to the ominous clouds which hung over the village. 'Those clouds.... There's something strange about them... Something different....' He shook the thoughts from his mind as he approached the library, entering quickly. He gently set the book on the front desk and turned to the window. 'I can't help but wonder... Hmm....'

Ghirahim stepped outside, closing the door behind him. He held out his hand as he felt something wet fall onto his face. 'Rain...?' Little drops of water fell from the clouds. The streets were quickly covered with puddles as the rain became heavy. The demon lord's eyes narrowed as he held his hand out again. A drop of rain fell onto his gloved hand. Within seconds a burning sensation began where the water hit. 'This is no ordinary storm. I must return to Master at once! This is...' He sprinted down the wet streets, splashing through numerous puddles. Ghirahim struggled to continue at his speed. His entire body felt like it was on fire. A sigh of relief left his lips as he reached the inn.

Ghirahim ran up the inn's staircase, to their room on the second floor. The pain was slowly increasing. He stopped at the door to their room, throwing it open. "Master!!" Link was nowhere to be seen. Ghirahim's eyes widened as his gaze lowered. The floor was hidden under a large puddle of blood. The puddle grew bigger every second. He looked to the corner and was surprised to find Rucht collapsed against the wall. He held his arm firmly against a wide cut in his chest. With his eyes closed, Rucht hadn't noticed Ghirahim's entry. The demon lord ran to the injured demon. "Rucht!! What happened to you?! Where is Master?!" Rucht coughed up blood onto the floor before slowly moving his gaze to meet Ghirahim's. "Ghirahim... It was Ithzarus.... I tried to stop him, but I was too weak.. He took Link.... I'm sorry...." Rucht fell unconscious in the demon's arms. "Rucht!!" Ghirahim clenched his eyes shut. He could feel his blood boiling with rage. He stood quickly, using magic to contact the nearby hospital. A blue ball of light began forming in his hand before floating up and out the window, towards the hospital. 'The ball contains a message. When the hospital receives it, they'll know where to go for Rucht.' Ghirahim's gaze shifted to the sky island, where the demon king's palace stood. 'So you've finally decided to attack. It has begun.'