Chapter 20

!!!~~~~~~The Store~~~~~~!!!

Walking the dark, empty streets of the city, Syoaran tugged his jacket closer and buttoned it. This was no cold night to be trifled with. His black shoes tap-tapped softly on the cobblestone, eyes darting to the sides as he searched for the building he was looking for.
The street lights lit up the sidewalks and washed light over the sleeping trees as birds snored softly over their new eggs and animals curled up into the saftey of their homes.
A few stores that caught Syoaran's attention didn't look quite right, until he spotted the steps that lead down into a big brick building, an awning over it with a spade symbol on it.
He hesitated at the top step, but descended into the darkness as a cold wind blew against his back.
The steps were worn concrete, maybe a decade old, and had cobwebs all around them Syoaran thought looked a bit fake - until a giant hairy black spider danced across them, ignoring him, and fixed a broken spot on their webs. Syoaran shivered, ducking into the store's open door.
He gazed around the room in awe. There were books on how to mage's magic, wart removers, how to become a werewolf and how to cure them, the list went on and on! This place had bookshelves that went up to the eight-foot ceiling pack with book after wonderous book. He crossed the room with caution before choosing a hardback and pulling it off the shelf. A cloud of dust rose, but he just waved it away with a black gloved hand,
"'Vampires?'"
He turned the book over. On the back there was a sign that looked like Sakura's feather. He gasped, noticing the book had a lock on it that looked like it hadn't been opened in years.
"Like vampires, boy?"
Syoaran spun around to see an old woman standing not far away, dressed in black slacks and a hooded green wrap-around cape. She had a kind smile, but mysteriously glinting chocolate eyes. Her wavy dark hair flowed around her shoulders as she glided up to him, slipping the book from his fingers,
"Yes, I have picked this one up many times myself. What is your need to open such a book at a young age, no less?"
Syoaran blinked,
"Well, ma'm, uh, fighting vampires is hard, and we men are looking for a weakness. I was wondering... if there was a key to this book?"
The woman nodded,
"Yes, this key is hidden in a very special place in this world. The head vampire holds it in a necklace around his daughter's neck up at the high castle."
Syoaran startled,
"But, how did they get the key?"
The woman winked at him,
"The question is, how did we get their bible? They rote this thousands of years ago, before this city was built, and when man migrated here, they took on the vampires. The battles were many, the deaths more. A captain of one of our armies snuck into the high castle and snatched this from an alter deep within it's depths. We've been fighting ever since."
Syoaran nodded soberly,
"I see. How much?"