Chapter 7

Remembrance

Midday. Jeremiah Train came to a halt at the east train station and passengers were quickly escorted off the train by officials. Some panicked and some walked to the back to inspect the missing train car. Dante, Phoenix and Lady sneaked off the train from the back to avoid drawing attention. Dante was still frustratingly brushing feathers off of him. While walking through the station, Lady spotted out a monorail that appeared to lead to the edge of the city. They swiftly shifted through the crowds and piled into a single unoccupied monorail car. Inside was a touch-screen monitor that showed various different destinations across the city. One in particular was "Sparda's Altar," the obvious choice for them to pick. The car broke off it's clamps and easefully moved through it's tracks. Dante relaxed on a bench to the right next to Lady who found another "à la mode" magazine. Observing Detroid's fashion made her smooth ride that much more enjoyable. Phoenix, on the other hand, was looking out the front window taking notice of the big city. The city was a metropolis, high skyscrapers, buys factories and a shop on every corner. Detroid was sitting on a side of a mountain. The majority of it was in the valley of the mountain but some skyscrapers and other tall buildings were connected to the side of the mountain, reaching up. The mountain wasn't particularly big and was mostly flat making it easy for buildings to be set up next to it. Beyond a few buildings, next to the mountain, was a clump of open area where no buildings lay which the monorail was heading towards. Phoenix tried peeking over the buildings but the monorail started shifting altitudes down causing the buildings to cover the area. The monorail gradually came to it's stop.

Memorial Fields. The three jumped off their car and the monorail skidded off back around to it's station. The three moved off the stop and approached the open area. A tall metal black fence lie in front of them but beyond it was a field of grass with slight hills. The mountain soared over the bright meadow and in the distance were two enormously tall flagpoles waving two flags. Several other objects were in the distance but hard to make out due to the sunlight beaming over the landscape.

Dante walked up to the main gate and noticed a note hanging from a bar on it. He picked it up and read it's message, "Beyond this point is closed off from residences. Anyone who attempts to cross the fence border will be severely punished by local officials."

"Closed? Screw that I'm going right through!" Dante notices a big lock behind the note. Dante looks around to see if anyone was looking. He pulls out a pistol and shoots the lock to break it off. He then kicks open the fence door and strides into the meadow. Phoenix and Lady follow behind him.

As they walked along the path and over a few hills, several stone memorials with flowers surrounding them were placed along the path listing what seemed to be warrior's names. Lady paused at one of them and noticed a phoenix underneath the person's name. The phoenix was very similar to Phoenix's on his chest. She got back up after checking it out and trotted back up to the other two.

"This is very… peaceful," Phoenix remarked as he looked around at other memorial with flowers. The two flagpoles started to become clear ahead.

"We didn't come here to smell the pretty flowers, we got a job to do," Dante said sneezing. "Besides my damn allergies are kicking in," he said with another sneeze.

"Dante's right, lets move a little faster," Lady said picking up the pace.

"Where's the weed killer when you need it?" Dante pinched his nose as his eyes started to water a bit.

The three hastily came up to a tile stairway that lead up to the stone entrance of the altar. The altar was built within the mountain which the entrance peaked out through the side of it. The doorway was at least 15 ft. tall and eight people wide. Stone tiles were laid across the area of the entrance and into the altar. Some tiles were cracked and broken, others were perfectly untouched. At the sides of the entrance were two tall flagpoles, which were taller than the entrance, with their big flags waving in the wind. The three stopped to inspect the view. Lady looked up at the flags and noticed another phoenix painted on it, again, similar to Phoenix's. She dazed at it in curiosity.

"Wow," Dante says putting his hands on his hips. "Well then, ladies first," Dante turns to the side and holds out his hand in a welcoming manner.

Lady looks back down and grins at Dante, adjusting her Kalina-Ann on her back by swinging her right shoulder a bit, fixing the strap holding on to it. Just as she took a few steps past Dante, two demons crashed down from atop and landed in front of her. Lady flinches back and falls backwards onto her back. The two demons were both lizard men demons crouching down and holding a claw weapon in their right with a shield in their left. Both had red stripes flowing throughout their bodies. Dante and Phoenix quickly reacted and dashed at the two.

Dante bursts at the demon to the left and smacked it in the face by doing a fast spin kick. He follows it by flipping out Rebellion and slicing upwards, sending the demon flying into the air. Dante then crouches down holding the sword backwards as it began to glow a bright red with streaks of lighting flashing around it. As the demon started spiraling down, Dante precisely whips his sword around in a single swipe creating a red cut of energy streaking through the air. The attack splits the demon in half, separating it's left from it's right. The demon disintegrates after it hits the ground from the burning energy.

At the same time, Phoenix charged at the right lizard man and jumps onto the front of the demon, hurling it down backwards as he stood on top of it. They skidded a bit and Phoenix pulls out his sniper-blade and fires several rounds into the demon's face, shattering it's skull and it's hard scale skin. The demon wildly threw it's arms and legs but stopped after Phoenix finished it off with a few more blows to the brain. Some blood and tissue splatters on the concrete tiles. He then jumps off of it and looks at Dante who had also just finished off his demon. The two put away their weapons and look back at Lady whose still sitting on the ground in amazement. She didn't even get the chance to blink before they killed off the demons.

"You guys work pretty well together," Lady blurts out holding out her arms as the two help her to her feet.

"I just hate reptiles," Dante says shrugging his shoulders.

"They're probably here to make sure we don't lay a hand on the sword," Phoenix points out after raising Lady.

"If that's so then if they're out here, then someone is already in the altar," Dante says rubbing his chin and standing next to Phoenix's kill.

"That means we'd better hurry!" Lady says running inside the altar.

"Right!" Phoenix responds going after her.

Dante stood back for a second to study the demon. He noticed there wasn't a Zion symbol imprinted anywhere on the demon.

The three ran through a few lit chambers that had banners of Phoenix's symbol and inscriptions in a weird language. Lady spotted them out in her head which made her think even more.

They finally come across a massive center dome chamber chamber with a circular window opening at the top. Light leaked through it from the sunlight outside. Several columns and pillars were placed symmetrically throughout the chamber with a few platforms peaking out of the sides towards the upper section of the dome, towards the opening at the top. A stone henge lied in the center of the chamber with a circular platform that surrounded it which acted like steps leading up to it. It looked as if something could be placed in the henge as there was nothing in it. In front of the henge lie a rectangular stone inscription and two columns in front of it. The three walked up to it and inspected what it said. The inscription was written in an alien language with yet another phoenix symbol imprinted on the upper right side of the stone. Dante nor Lady could read the text.

"Lady, you're the nerd right? What does it say?" Dante elbowed her while still looking at it.

Lady turned her head at Dante and did another one of her usual glares at him when he makes a joke. She turned back to the text, "I don't know. I know I researched this place but it never said anything about this," she said scratching her head.

Phoenix then came up behind them and started whispering something under his breath. Dante and Lady looked back at him as he continued going between them, staring at the text. He stops and kneels down in front of it as if doing a prayer. He stops whispering and gets back up.

Without facing them he starts reading off what it says:

"Here lies the altar which Sparda built for the accursed sword, Akkiken. A memorial reminding humanity one of many sacrifices he made for us. Let us, Incedio, honor his sacrifice with our Phoenix, a powerful warrior blessed by the gods to protect this stained sword from an evil who wishes to burn a hole into the Earth, once again. Give us your strength with your fluid motion, Sparda, the legendary dark knight."

Phoenix turns around and looks at the two as they look back in amazement. "I remember reading something like this in one of my father's books," Phoenix says calmly.

"How are you able to read that?" Dante questions tilting his head to the side.

"I can't. In the book there was a translation that came with the statement. I simply memorized it for fun when I was a kid," Phoenix replies with his head looking up into the light and his hands in his pockets.

"So it was right…" Lady out-of-nowhere says aloud.

The two glance at her whom is looking back at Phoenix with realization in her eyes.

"You," Lady says pointing at Phoenix. "You're a part of the ancient group, Incedio. That explains your gear! It all makes sense now!"

"I knew this day would come, Lady has officially gone crazy," Dante says putting his hands on his hips and pushing his coat back while shaking his head.

"No no listen you idiot!" She yelps back waving her hands. "Phoenix is part of Incedio, the ones who helped build this place and that swore an oath to protect it from demons! I read about it while researching it earlier. But this Phoenix idea is startling me," Lady exclaims.

"Especially since Phoenix calls himself Phoenix."

Dante shifts back to Phoenix standing next to him who has an extremely confused look on his face.

"So?" Dante questions him, "what's the deal?"

"I have no clue what she's talking about," he says crossing his arms and rubbing his facial hairs. "And this is my word, I have never heard of this 'Incedio' nor this 'Phoenix' of any sorts. All my father managed to tell me was where to find my armor and weapons and what I had to do. No where in his instructions were 'protecting an altar' or 'being in the Incedio clan.' This is all new to me as it is to you. I simply called myself Phoenix simply because of the contextual design on my armor," he finishes looking down at the symbol on his chest.

"Wait so you don't know? Nothing at all about this?" Lady asks.

"No not really. My father's library was huge and packed with information he was supposed to teach and show me but his unexpected death left me with limited combat training and knowledge from it. I've had to survive on my own from then on," Phoenix explains.

"Damn," Lady says under her breath. "We came so close and yet-"

The room started to shake when a giant snake demon busted out of the wall to the left of the three. They all quickly turn to see a green vicious-looking giant slithering towards them. It's teeth were abnormally big so they stuck out of it's mouth. The snake opened it's mouth and fiercely sprang forth at them. The three jump out of the way in opposite directions. The snake smashed it's face against the stone tiles on the ground which several tiles flew up into the air but it quickly slithered back to it's standing position facing at Lady. Dante notice it had several plates of armor on it resting on it's back stretching over it's sides, the armor looked liked stripes in a certain way. It's tail had a small sword latched on to it surgically. The snake hissed and slithered towards Lady. Lady pulled out two machine guns and fired a barrage of bullets to it's face. The bullets purged but only tickled the snake. It continued to slither towards her. Phoenix then jumped forward, dodging it's tail and going over and under it's body as it slithered around. He jumped on to the demon's head, grabbing it's right eyelid as it shifted around.

Dante meanwhile was climbing to higher ground. Phoenix transformed his sniper-blade and started slashing at the demon's exposed eye. The snake did a large roar and started to tumble towards Lady. It bounced around giving Lady the chance to roll underneath it as it crashed against the corner of the room. A few columns were knocked down as Lady dodged them to the other side of the room. The snake violently whipped it's head around smacked it against a wall, pulverizing Phoenix who fell off. The snake grabbed hold of the injured Phoenix and wrapped it's tail and body around Phoenix until it got a tight hold of him. Only his upper body showed as the snake squeezed and aimed it's attached sword-tail at him for the kill. Phoenix started to lose his breath. Lady frantically reloaded as she looked around for Dante who mysteriously disappeared.

Dante finally managed to make it to the top of one of the platforms near the upper skyline opening. He pulled out Rebellion and aimed it at the snake's head by tilting his head and closing one eye. He then spins it at the demon by throwing it diagonally doing a slight curve in the air. Rebellion spun violently across the room towards the demon. The sword started slashing at the demon while still spinning around. It began to orbit the snake's face. The snake screeched and let go of Phoenix who let out a gasp of air as he held his stomach on his knees with one arm. Rebellion continued to slash and orbit the demon's face as it jumped all over the room knocking down a few more pillars. Dante then whips out Ebony and Ivory which he then leaps from the platform. Dante soars down to the demon headfirst then flips at the last second and does a heavy stomp on the demon's head with his boots. The massive force created a creator of tiles on the ground and the snake's body twitched around a bit be fore falling back down as Rebellion flies high up into the air. Dante stands up on top of the demon's head and unloads multiple bullets into the demon's head. The bullets pierced but weren't doing enough damage. Dante then twirls them around in his fingers and fires rapid machine-gun-fire-rate shots at it's head. His guns turn a bright red and energy bursts out of his guns instead of bullets. The demon jumped around for a bit but then collapsed as it's skull was ripped open by Dante's fierce armada of lead. Dante then twirls his guns back into their gun pouches. He raises his right arm in the air and catches Rebellion that was falling in the mean time. He then turns it upside-down and stabs the snake's exposed brain, finishing it. The demon did one last scream and then exhaled it's last breath. Dante yanked out his sword and slid off the reptile's scales and landed next to Phoenix and Lady who had rejoined back at the entrance. Dante had small portions of blood on him but he quickly rubbed them off as he walked up to them.

"That thing was really trying hard to kill us," Phoenix manages to say rubbing his chest of the bruises now on him.

"Yeah and I really hate reptiles so better dead than anything else," Dante says brushing himself off once more.

"Look, there isn't much more we can do here now that the Akkiken isn't where it's supposed to be. Someone obviously has it. Lets take a break and continue our search after," Dante finishes.

"Right!" Both Lady and Phoenix shout.

The three begin to exit the altar when Dante glances over his shoulder and notices the snake demon didn't have a Zion symbol either. New questions ponder in his head.

End of Chapter 7

I appreciate the feedback. I've taken consideration into a few of them and I will work hard to improve certain aspects. Chapters 8 and 9 are on their way.

Once again, thanks! :D