Lil pov swap in this chapter. And I am so sorry for taking so long to write this. It was a lot of work to get past writer's block.
Link trailed behind Ghirahim as they circled around a small store, glancing at the goods for sale. It was a little different than what Link had become adjusted to in Hyrule or on Skyloft. The items were on shelves lining the walls, the mortal of the two picking out items that they would find useful, as well as new supplies.
They bought a meal at Ghirahim's insistence after recieving thier supplies for free. It felt unfair to them when they were taking precious food and weapons for not even a single rupee. They were over joyous to have their lord back in their village. Ghirahim wasn't going to deny them their happiness at his return, and Link had only recieved blessing after blessing about dealing with him, and how much of a saint he was to deal with the stubbornness of the Ithlathi lord.
Ghirahim's nimble fingers plucked over the feathers of the arrows, his eyes narrowed. Lips were held in a tight line, and Link was unable to read his master and weapon's expression once and now a single glance and taking in a minuscule change spoke volumes. He sighed, scrubbing a hand through silver hair. He was uncertain, the expression saying as such.
Why hadn't he been able to read that sort of thing before?
"What's wrong?" He asked his lover, dark eyes lifting before shrugging.
"Merely contemplating on how we are going to continue this mission." He swung the quiver over his shoulder, arrows rattling in the casing. "After all, you and I need to see this through to the end. I doubt that we will remain free of pursuit for much longer, and we should soon take our leave if we wish to hold our dear lives in a safe position."
"That's more like the Demon Lord I know." Link's lips twitched in a grin and Ghirahim gave him a softer smirk.
"Thank you, Link. Come on. We have to get moving." He gestured with a finger for Link to follow him.
Ghirahim seemed to be in a more cheery mood than before, having traveled over most of the way. He was making light conversation with Link, talking with him about things he did as a kid in the trees of the village before he had to settle down in his teen years and be responsible. It had worked for a while until his body and soul was bound to the sword.
"Ghirahim, what happened? Why were you bound to your sword like you are now?" Link asked him as they paced through the woods of the Ithlathi people and closer to the territory line. Ghirahim's gaze settled on him, and Link picked up a flurry of emotion that was one he did not recognise and the edge of it was so sharp, breaking into his focus and exactly why he had asked it of the demon had scampered away with the urge to know the answer.
He looked up to see an expression of shock and pain, and his hand itched to reach out and wrap one of Ghirahim's in it. "You don't need to answer that, Ghirahim." He ordered him after a moment, to which Ghirahim shook his head no.
"I need to." He sighed, glancing up ahead. "It'll be another few hours on foot to get to our destination, and night will be on us soon. It's probably best to sleep in the trees tonight." His head tilted up to look at the sky, seeing where the sun was in relevance to time. "Remember how Hilda said that the Kings of the provinces had disappeared, and how they were most likely changed into elemental monsters, like the one we faced yesterday?"
Link nodded. "Yeah, I remember."
"Each of them had a lord, their second in command and heir once they kicked the bucket would take over. I was the Lord to the Ithlathi King." Ghirahim kicked a stone and set it flying down the path. "Although, one lord is also the heir to the throne over all of the land. I had that role as well.
"When Demise changed the Kings into what they are now, he took their lords and made them into living weapons. A spear, a bow and a sword and shield. He only used one on a regular basis. The sword. You can guess who that may be." Ghirahim sent Link a stare and Link shrugged.
"You?" the question had been rhetorical, he figured a moment after speaking.
Ghirahim nodded and answered, continuing his speech. "Since the bond that I had held with Demise before his defeat had been broken, having to repair that bond would be a task all on its own, it would have been much easier to create a brand new sword all on its own. Which is where you come in, my darling weapon." He smirked and his hand drifted over to smack Link's bottom, to which the younger man gasped in surprise.
"They weren't expecting you to break in, weren't they?" Ghirahim blinked at his question and his hand rubbed at his chest.
"Of course they weren't. That's all about surprise. I needed a master to survive and you needed one to live." Link reached out to swat Ghirahim'a rear in return for the action given to him a few moments ago.
Ghirahim sighed, running fingers through black strands of hair, pausing to take a break, and the mortal dropped to the ground and leaned forwards, pulling off a boot.
"Ghirahim?" Link paused, almost walking past him.
"I'm fine, just fixing my boot." He grunted, rubbing at the sole of his foot. Human flesh was so much more tender than that of a demon's, or that of a sword spirit's. You'd be surprised on how easily it bruised. His grip was so much weaker now too. He glanced through his boot, swearing the walking had worn a hole in it. Clearly he had forgotten what it was like to be mortal.
"It's fine." Rolling his eyes, Link spoke, attempting to get Ghirahim's mind a little calmer than before, and the mortal's form had stiffened, taking on quite the troubled appearance.
"That's not going to work." He felt Link trying to smooth out the knots in his temper the way someone irons out fabric to cut into the required pattern for sewing. He had managed to use that same method on Demise, but it was odd being on the receiving end of it.
"What has you so stressed?" Link asked him and crouched beside him, blinking his pretty eyes.
"The whole situation we're in, the fact I'm trying to keep you protected at the same time trying as we try to protect Lorule, and we're running after monsters that used to be the tribe kings, and now look at us, both worse for wear." He sighed and tugged his boot back on, tramping on ahead of Link.
"Hylia, calm down, I'm fine." Link sighed and shook his head. Ghirahim got back to his feet after a moment. "It has not been that long yet, we don't need to worry."
"Well, I'm worried, I'm trying to remember what the fates of the other two lords were, well, which lord became what weapon. Obviously we know the fate of one already." He thumped his chest with a balled fist for a moment. "I am his sword and shield, although the shield is modified so that it is as such the hardened skin of a sword spirit. It wouldn't do to have a being that would easily break if they were compromised. "
Link turned, an eerie feeling settling over him. "I feel like we are being followed."
"In Lorule, we could possibly be." It was clear Ghirahim's voice was strained as he spoke, walking in the direction they were headed, even though Link had paused. "Come now, we should soon hide in the trees to sleep. I would much rather share a bed with you, but we can not have that luxury."
They walked for a few more minutes before Ghirahim stopped, Link almost walking into him.
The demon then nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. He glanced up, hoping to see branches close and thick enough to conceal himself and not risk dropping him out of the branches. It was a little uncomfortable settling down, but Ghirahim had climbed up into the boughs of a nearby tree and carefully positioned himself for comfort.
Link sighed, tilting his head against the trunk of the tree and closed his eye. Sleep was something that pressed against his mind, but was too far away to truly grasp. It was like smoke behind glass, and he wanted to close his eyes and sleep, but his body had other ideas for him.
Link grumbled as he shifted slightly, looking over at Ghirahim who had promptly fallen asleep. It was clear he had done this sort of activity before; sleeping in the trees. He watched him for some time, the falling night making it harder and harder to see his boyfriend. He longed to be beside him and share in his warmth, but he could have no such luck. It would be impossible to do that in a tree.
So, Link eventually closed his eyes and went to sleep, even though it was something that came to him so painfully slow.
Link woke with the sun and looked over to see if Ghirahim was still in his tree and he was. A sigh of relief left his lips, along with a feeling of anxiety he did not note was there before. He guessed it was the fact he was not aware of where Ghirahim was when he woke up, disoriented that he was not laying beside him in a bed. He had become quite adjusted to the whole away from each other thing.
If he hated anything more than anything else, it was that goddess forsaken part where he couldn't be as close as he wanted to be to his boyfriend.
He started to climb down, watching as Ghirahim stirred and woke up shortly after him. "Link, I'm hungry, and you have the food." He complained, dramatically hitting his legs. It caused Link to laughed.
"Come on, slowpoke. You got to get down here first. I'm not climbing the tree to just feed you. We need to get moving any ways." To that, Ghirahim rolled his eyes before nimbly climbing down the tree, jumping off the lowest branch and landing in a neat crouch.
He held out a pouch of dried meat to Ghirahim. "Try not to eat it all. That's my breakfast and possibly our lunch." He spoke as Ghirahim took it and pulled out a few strips.
"Goddesses, tektite is so uneappealing." He grumbled as he passed the leather pouch of meat back to Link. "It's so tough..."
"It could be worse." Link mused. "Could be moblin or bokoblin. Bet those things are pretty disgusting."
"I agree." He tilted his hand towards Link. There was a crack in the woods behind them and they both glanced up, expecting the worst.
An animal had simply scurried away across some branches and dead leaves, and the sound left a dead echo in the woods. "At worst it was a rabbit." Link mused and pulled out some meat. "Oh, dried beef. I got the better end of this meat grab bag."
He made a disgusted face at the next strip. "I have no idea what this one is supposed to be, it tastes kind of like fish, but I don't know." Ghirahim took his hand and snatched a bite.
"River Zora. A hostile bunch of creatures that spit fire." He informed Link as to what it was. "Not my favourite type of meat to consume. Never liked it. Fresh is even worse. It stinks and tastes like dead fish that had been covered in the last month's scraps and baked in the sun."
Link laughed, and Ghirahim began to laugh as well, until a chilling sound of a laugh joined the area. It wasn't anyone's they knew, until Link looked at his partner and saw the fear in his expression. He was staring down the path and he watched as a figure formed, feet first.
"Hello, boys, happy to see me?" A high, regal voice asked, and Link watched as the figure strutted towards them, a woman forming. Her hips were wide and she was dressed in black high heels and a provocative wine tone dress, the skirt going down to her ankles. A slit led up to her hip, revealing a garter and lace from her underwear.
"Ghirahim?" Link looked at him as she drew her black hair over one shoulder.
"That is Lamia. The spear of the King." He ground out between his teeth. "And she is deadly."