Title: Books and Not
Fandom: Demon Diary
Disclaimer: Characters and settings are not mine.
Notes: Set during the first volume, just after the initiation
Notes2: Written for Ficondemand over on Lj. For Misura, the 'On location' request.
"And this," Eclipse concluded, pushing open the heavy oaken doors easily with one hand, "is your library, my Lord."
"Wow…" Raenef stared into the enormous hall, made warrenous by the miles of bookcases that filled it in no discernable pattern. Invading knights who wandered in here were never heard from again, unless the Demon Lord was in need of a particularly obscure reference, in which case their bones might be recovered. "There are so many books! And it's so big!"
"It is," Eclipse nodded, pleased that at least i this /i stop on the Grand Tour of Raenef's domain was invoking the appropriate response in the young demon lord. Some of the others… Eclipse firmly slaughtered, burned, and buried in a sixty foot deep hole any flashbacks to the… he shuddered… 'initiation.' "A Demon Lord's library is one of the foundations of his strength. Wars have been fought over particularly rare tomes. Secrets to unassailable strength lie bound between leather covers."
"Um…" Raenef was staring up at him, his eyes suddenly nervous. "You mean I'm supposed to read them?"
Eclipse controlled another twitch. Really, he was becoming far too good at suppressing that automatic response. "Yes."
"Oh." Raenef stared into the cavernous library and wilted. He chewed on his lower lip for a moment, then slanted a nervous look Eclipse's way. "…Where's the cliff notes section?"
Later, Eclipse would conclude that maybe he hadn't become good i enough /i at controlling that particular reaction.
Raenef V would reign i in /i terror at least.