Bond of a Demon

Chapter Thirty Four

"Zelda! Zelda what are you doing here?" I cried desperately. I was hesitant, though it looked like Zelda, there was something off about her eyes... one might expect a distant look or glazed-over eyes. However, she wasn't like that at all. She looked happy, yet... crazy. I couldn't explain it, but it wasn't like Zelda. It unnerved me greatly.

She smiled, which was even more off than her eyes. Zelda always had such a soft, kind smile. Whereas this was... evil. "To serve my master of course."

I pulled against the thick chains angrily, "He's not your master Zelda! Snap out of it!"

She crossed her arms and shook her head like a disappointed mother, "That's another hour. You have ten hours left Link. I'd behave."

I looked at my hand, and indeed it did say ten on it. I slumped uncomfortably against the chain and groaned. What a mess! I have to get out of these chains! Zelda is my responsibility and Ghirahim will come looking for me as well. No doubt Wenta has a nasty plan for him. The mere thought made my blood run hot with rage. WWenta can have my life. But he will not touch Ghirahim and Zelda!

"Nevaeh! It's the human! Wenta has him and is planning to use him against our lord! Ghirahim is after him now, but he will not make it without aid!" Tuschia spoke urgently. "It is time."

Urgency sprung in Nevaeh's eyes at the news and she nodded, turning to the others.

"It is time! We must go to Ghirahim's aid at the palace!"

Shaiyala spoke up, "But, Ghirahim hasn't found Inferna-"

"Someone talking about me?"

All heads snapped to the entrance of the temple at the voice. There stood the final shard guardian Inferna. She Stood nine feet tall with thick, brown boots that came up to her thighs and she wore a darker brown dress that fell off her shoulders, and bunched at the sleeves. It fell nearly to the floor, ripped, singed and torn from from fighting. She also wore a cloth masked hood that fell over her face and well past her chest and also down her back. From her head, protruded two, large horns that curled back behind her and atop her head. On one, she had slipped a large ring that dangled and gleamed in the magical light. She was a desert-fire demon, an outcast to others.

Nevaeh stood with a stony expression, "You left the shard unguarded?"

Inferna crossed her arms and glared with her eyes, "I'm no fool. I attached it to the one in the swamp. I could feel that he'd gotten to it so I rushed over here. Now, what are we doing."

Aquento huffed and looked away. The two had hated each other for a long time, mostly because of their opposite elements. All others returned their attention to Nevaeh.

"Very well. As I was saying, we must head to the palace at once. We needn't get in Ghirahim's way, we only need to aid him in battle. And we can end this war."

Most would have expected her to have shouted at the end for affect, or a cheering crowd after. However, she spoke calmly and almost passively and the others merely nodded and turned to head out the door. Inferna opened it and led them out, heading for the palace.

Lin's Point of View

"So close." Zelda said softly as she paced around slowly with a thoughtful expression. "Soon my master will ask me to be his queen. So close."

She'd been saying that for hours, and it was getting on my nerves. I'd tried to explain that he wasn't Zelda's master, that she was fooled. However, she didn't listen. She was convinced Wenta was going to marry her once he'd been rid of Ghirahim. The thought was almost laughable. I knew Wenta wanted Ghirahim to love him. Not Zelda. She' merely a puppet. I clenched my fists and ground my teeth in anger. How can it have gotten this bad? We were so close to recovering all of Ghirahim's memories! How could this have happened? Had we been playing by Wenta's rules this whole time? Had they been pieces in his game? The thought made me sick.