Chapter Thirty Five
"NONE OF YOU WILL BE FINE MUCH LESS ALIVE IF YOU DON'T EXPLAIN YOUR REASON FOR INTRUDING"...
The group stood looking around for the source of the devilish voice. The library that they were currently standing in was beautiful but eerily quiet. After the devilish voice disappeared, slowly and carefully, they took a step further into the library. Nothing happened.
"Maybe it was a security thing," Karla shrugging slightly
"I highly doubt that," Viper says in an irritated tone
"That's very smart on you, dragon," says the same devilish voice from earlier. The group huddled up together, forming a circle ready for an attack.
"Who are you" asks Tatsuya
"And who are you that I should introduce myself, boy," asks the voice, amusement laced in his tone.
"Are you mocking us?!" asks Viper irritatedly
"of course not, I'm simply amused by your....group," says the voice, followed by an amused chuckle
"so, who are you supposed to be? You look powerful," Ryoko says, but she wasn't with the group at that moment.
"what? Where are you" asks the person in confusion.
"Turn around" Ryoko had somehow found her way to the source of the person without him noticing
"Well, well, looks like I greatly underestimated you" Before Ryoko stood a tall man in the traditional Japanese clothing of a Samurai, with long black hair, obsidian eyes, and a silver fan
"Where? When did she leave without us noticing? "
"guys up here!" the group looks up to see Ryoko and a mysterious-looking man standing at the very top of the library
"how did you get up here?" asks Elena, the group looking at them in shock and confusion
"I used the stairs obviously," Ryoko says gesturing toward a beautiful set of spiraling stairs
"When did that get there" Karla and Elena ask simultaneously
"while Viper was asking dumb questions," says Ryoko with a small smirk
"What did you say? You little-"
"not now," says Haru, nudging Viper slightly before turning to the man
"so, who are you?" she asks
"I assist Master Akira in overseeing various libraries, including this one," the man explains as he gracefully descends the spiraling stairs, with Ryoko following closely.
"Akira,? as in the demon dragon?" says Haru
"Precisely," he says, finally stopping towering over them with a good 2 feet difference between him and the tallest amongst them.
"Now, the important question. Who the hell are you?" asks Viper in an irritated tone.
"I do not appreciate your tone, dragon," he says, looking down at Viper
"and I don't appreciate your face!" she replies angrily
"Viper!" says Haru, smacking her upside the head
"hmph, this is proof failure has a sense of humor," he says condescendingly
"you talking to me old man?!" asks Viper, looking ready to lunge at him
"Oh no, I'm talking to the ugly rabbit behind you"
"rabbit? where? she asks, turning around. He chuckles at this while the rest of the group face palms as she falls for his tricks.
"honestly how did a group of idiots find themselves in my library," he says looking at them in the manner one would look at dirt.
"what's so great about your stupid library?" asks Viper, crossing her arms and staring him down. He scoffs at the question.
"what a stupid question. This library holds knowledge one could never accumulate in ten lifetimes," he says proudly.
"and how many lifetimes have you lived?" asks Karla in a questioning tone
"Approximately twenty lifetimes"
"so you took double time huh?" says Viper, earning a glare from him.
"Anyway," says Ryoko, stepping in between the two
"You never told us your name," she says, looking at him
"Oh forgive my manners, my name is Shimo," he says in a composed manner
"Shimo?"You sound like a sumo wrestler," Elena remarks.
"Are you all intentionally trying to get on my nerves?" he says through clenched teeth
"of course not, maybe, probably, I don't know about Viper though," Ryoko says with that signature goofy smile. He sighs frustratedly.
"What are you all doing here?" he asks regaining his composure
"Uh, we stumbled upon it?" says Ryoko in a questioning tone
"You stumbled upon it? You just... what are you doing in this desert, then? I don't imagine a group of... teenagers wandering around in a desert-like this"
"We're looking for a man named-"
"sh!" they all shush Ryoko before she manages to finish her sentence
"What?!" she asks, looking at them
"We're trying to get to the city of sand," says Haru, Shimo's eyes narrowed slightly
"the city of sands?" why would you want to go there?" he asks
"We're going to meet a good friend," she replies. Shimo looks at them skeptically before replying.
"well, you're not far now. Keep going in this direction, you should be there in a fortnight," he says
"thank you," Haru says with a curt nod
"wait I have a question," says Karla
"I've had enough of all of you, OUT!" he says, waving his fan. The group gets flung out the door by a chilling gust of wind landing on the floor beside a resting Silver.
"is that how to treat visitors you bastard?!" says Viper, they groan standing up from the floor and dusting themselves off.
"That was harsh and cold," says Elena
"Expected, he's an ice dragon after," says Haru
"Really? How could you tell?" asks Viper.
"I noticed the library was much cooler than the desert itself, and the temperature was quite consistent"
"so? I mean, it's cold out here too," Karla says in a confused tone.
"but there are no windows in that library. It should be much hotter in there," says Tatsuya.
"oh, you're here? I didn't even remember," says Viper.
"hey, you should show me respect. I'm older than you, you know," says Tatsuya, pointing at Viper.
"By seven seconds!" she replies irritatedly
"still counts," he says in a triumphant tone
"you're all so noisy," says Silver, opening his eyes.
Ryoko gets on his back looking at the others
"We should start going already. He said a fortnight, right?" she says as the others get on as well
"right let go" Silver yawns slightly before taking off.
Meanwhile, inside the library, Shimo lounges on a sky-blue couch adorned with silver jewels while a demon boy, presumably a butler, serves him a cup of tea.
"dragons are horrible liars don't you think?" he says gracefully sipping from the glass
"get me a presence with his highness Akira," he says turning to the demon butler
"of course, master"