Spirits: The Gatherers

Chapter 4: Saria the Black Demon

Washed up in a cave Owen lay. He clawed his way onshore and tried and grabbed whatever breath he could. He coughed and hacked as he clawed his way up on the shore. Owen was spread out on his back. Everywhere he looked, the cave was pitch black. Soaking wet, he sat up and sighed to himself.

"What...the...hell...was...," Owen said to himself.

"Light," a voice behind him said. The room lit up was a bright white light. The stalagmites came peering through the dark like the jaws of a monster through a thick fog. Owen crawled back and turned to see the cloaked figure from earlier. It stared at him maliciously as it walked towards him.

"The blade chained to him...," the figure said kneeling in front of Owen.

"C-chained?" Owen said in confusion.

"You are chained to the dark one...thus you are marked with his sign...," The figure said.

"The dark one...?" Owen said.

The hooded figure squinted and rose to its feet.

"Dark one, I am your servant of burst infinite, Saria...the black demon," Saria said as he took off his robes to reveal an insignia on his shirt.

"S-Saria...?" Owen said. "I...I'm...,"

"Owen? Yeah yeah, I heard of you," Saria said in conclusion to Owen's thought.

"Heard of me?" Owen repeated in confusion.

"Yes, that you, in fact, go by a different name," Saria said pulling up a chair and sitting in it.

"A...different name...? I don't think I go by any other names," Owen said.

"Lucifer? Ring a bell?," Saria asked.

"Lucifer?! The creator of...,"

"...darkness? Yes, that one,"

Saria gazed at Owen. Hidden behind his mask was an eerie smile. The expression couldn't show through his mask, but Owen knew. Owen stood and looked around the dark cave.

"Oh, there is no exit here, only in that water you came out of, where most people would drown. So you are going nowhere. You should sit down," Saria said.

Saria snapped his fingers. Lights all over the cave started to light up the base that Saria had made. There was a wooden table and a kitchen area behind it as well as sleeping bags on the floor.

"Hungry?," Saria asked getting up and gesturing to the table.

Owen stared at him and summoned his blade and shield. Saria then sighed and shook his head with an eerie laugh.

"I can't kill you, not yet. But I won't let you leave here. Fight me all you want, but you won't win," Saria said.

Owen can feel the look in his eyes. The strength that Saria possessed was clear. Saria didn't seem scared. Saria seemed ready. Analyzing all of his movements and body language. Whoever he was, he has immense power. Owen lowered his weapons.

"Now, you must be hungry for breakfast...yes?," Saria said gesturing once more.