'You think she adapted a spell to send her child away?' Trish questioned as she quickened her strides to match his.
'Yeah' Dante answered only to come to a sudden stop. Lifting his hand out he felt the air in front of him, 'do you feel that?'
Trish glanced at him from the corner of her eye only to step forward and raise a slender hand into the air. It rippled under her touch, an invisible force pulsing against her palm, 'it's here'
'Then let's open this thing' he stated.
Trish turned towards him watching him silently as he stared at the area in front of him. He still seemed tense, even though his demonic aura had sunk back into the depths of his being she could still feel the strong thrumming of it. Rebellion sat perched against his shoulder, the blade resting against the bunched muscle. The demon's severed head was stuck firmly on its tip, the lifeless eyes staring into space as blood dripped in slow droplets from its neck.
He turned his head towards her, his eyebrow cocking slightly as he opened his mouth, 'what?'
'How do we open it?' it wasn't the question she had wanted to ask, but she knew he wouldn't have answered what she really wanted to know, instead she cocked her head towards the direction of the pulsing air and waved her hand.
Dante grinned; it almost made him look like his normal self, except for the slight strain in his jaw that he couldn't conceal from her eyes. Slipping the sword from his shoulder, he twirled it in his hand making the head dance and turn in the air.
Stepping forward he pushed the head towards the pulsing. A soft glow edged from a tear that began to form in the air. It ran from just above the surface of the ground until it stopped eight-feet above the dusty dirt road that edged around the border of the city. The light seemed to push outward like probing hands as it searched for the demon's presence. Dante turned his head towards Trish and gave her a knowing smile.
'Don't celebrate too soon' Trish muttered as she turned a small frown towards the light.
Taking a step closer, Dante used his blade to push the demon's head towards the opening. The light flexed as it reached out towards them, only to stop and linger in front of the creature's damaged snout. It spilt into several strands, finger-like shreds that rushed forward to press against the shape of the demon's skull. They roamed freely over its muzzle, stroking almost tenderly over its face before pulling back. They jerked in the air as they drifted back into the opening only to snag around the edges of the rip. It was as if the light pulled at the gap with physical hands, the space tore wide, opening into a large tear that showed the world behind it.
Dante turned the smile back to Trish, the smug look on his face caused her to sigh and the urge to roll her eyes almost overtook her, instead she shook her head and walked towards the opening.
The world behind it was like an army barrack, large cabin-like huts ran down the borders of a long dirt trail that opened up into a large, open space. Training grounds spread out before them, large wooden structures standing ominously in the darkness swaying slightly as a breeze blew against them. The only sound that seeped through the air was the cracking groans of settling wood. As she stepped through she turned her head towards the opening. There was a large bar of white light above it. It pulsed as the two arm-like beams flexed against the effort of holding open the rip in the air.
Dante whistled softly as he walked backwards, stopping only a step away from walking into her as he stared at the light.
'Haven't seen that one before,' he spoke to her over his shoulder as he lifted his hand to point at the spell.
'It's a new one for me too' Trish responded, tilting her head to the side, she grabbed the ends of her hair and with one twist sent water pooling to the ground from their lengths.
Dante plucked the head from the end of his sword by the tuffs of its hair, looking into the creature's face he snorted, 'demons' dropping the head, Dante caught it with the toe of his boot, then hopping to the side he pushed it back into the air only to kick it through the opening and into the rain-soaked world they had just left, 'every single one of them is full of shit'
'Nice' Trish's voice held a firm tone; it caused Dante to turn his head towards her.
'What?' he questioned as a confused frown etched over his face.
Spinning on her heel as she tutted, Trish forced the wet lengths of her hair to fly over her shoulder, they flew through the air and at the sound of them whipping against his face a smiled worked itself across her mouth.
Dante reared his head back as he wiped the damp from his face only to look at his wet palm and then to the back of her head as she walked away, 'Trish, you know I didn't mean you' his voice drifted in the air between them but as she continued to move further away he stalked after her, 'Trish? Babe?'
Dante turned as he walked, using the motion to glance around him. It was deserted. Everything sat eerily still within the compound.
'I couldn't have killed them all?' Dante questioned as he walked backwards, staring at the area behind him.
'You didn't' Trish stated a teasing tone filtered her voice as she continued to walk through the vast open area of the training grounds.
Dante snorted, 'I killed most of them' he stated then as he turned around and caught the look she threw him over her shoulder, 'fine' he said as he shrugged, 'you helped, happy?'
This time the urge to roll her eyes couldn't be contained and as she turned her head away from him she inhaled deeply and turned them to the sky. A smile then spread across her face as she recognized his familiar attitude returning to normal. It seemed with every step they took towards Jess his demonic aura seemed to appease. Then with a frown at the knowledge that he was unwilling to admit she found herself worrying about the effect that his denial might have on the young woman. Casting a brief glance towards him she flexed her fingers. If he didn't acknowledge it soon things could go terribly wrong.
Stopping abruptly, Trish held her ground as Dante's shoulder bumped against her. His head had been turned to glance into the shadows of the compound to their right and as he gripped her shoulder to stop from tripping over her he narrowed his eyes.
There were three tunnels in front of them, each one disappearing into the impending darkness.
'Which way?' Trish queried softly, glancing up to him as he stepped up beside her she frowned as he shrugged his shoulders, 'Dante, your demonic blood has already staked a claim on her'
'Not that again' Dante snorted as he crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at her from the corner of his vision he snorted loudly, 'I've already told you…'
Trish turned towards him, prodding him sharply in his chest with the tip of her index finger, 'and whether you like it or not the fact is your demonic blood has already called out to her,' she stated firmly, only to raise her finger to silence him as he opened his mouth to respond, 'and because it has it is drawn towards her.' Poking him so roughly that he winced and placed a hand over the area of his chest, Trish continued, 'so use the damn thing to find her' Placing her hands on her hips as she finished she gave him a fixed look.
Rubbing his chest Dante narrowed his eyes slightly before inhaling through his nose and sighing, 'fine' he stated and with a deep groan he turned towards the tunnels. Instantly he started walking forward, his body heading towards the center chamber.
Trish watched him disappear, only to tap her foot impatiently as he reappeared. Without even looking at her he pointed towards the tunnel on their left, 'it's this way' he stated then as he neared the opening he nodded, 'yeah, definitely this way' before walking into its depths.
'Idiot' Trish muttered under her breath then smiled because she knew he could hear her.
The floor sloped downwards, drawing them deeper underground as it twisted and turned. The walls were lined with torches positioned at spaced intervals throughout the descent. He could feel the pull towards her, like a thin piece of string attached to the center of his chest leading him in the right direction. It was weak and he had to stop several times when the tunnel branched into separate ways but as he concentrated on the faint pull he felt it guide him to her.
It was silent the entire time. Not even the distant screaming or chattering of demons. It was disconcerting but as he felt himself drawing closer towards her he pushed the feeling away. His fingers twitched at the thought of holding her once again, the phantom touches of her skin still remembered within his palms. It caused his steps to quicken into a jog as a bright light splintered the shadows as the tunnel came to an end.
It wasn't until the tunnel opened up to a large room that his footing slowed. He stood at the top of a ledge that over looked a room full of stone-topped cells. They snaked before him in long lines, each one running off into the distance of the large cavern-like room. Hundreds of cells and only one of them hiding her from his gaze.
Closing his eyes as Trish stopped beside him he gritted his teeth as he felt the hard prickling of a demonic aura overpower the small tug in his chest.
'Damn it' he snapped, only to look at Trish in annoyance.
'We'll find her,' she whispered, placing a hand on his forearm she gave him a quick squeeze before turning to their right and towards stone steps that led to the floor below, pointing towards the side of the room closest to her she called to him over her shoulder, 'I'll take this side, if we split up we'll find her quicker'
Dante watched her descend several steps before turning his face back to the cells, then with one step forward he dropped himself from the ledge to the ground below.
Jess's head shot upwards, clutching the quilt around her body as she hugged her knees she tilted her head to the side, had she just heard her name?
Listening to the silence she closed her eyes tightly. Just her imagination, wiping the already dried tears with the back of her hand, she lowered her chin and rested it against her forearms. She was starting to hear his voice in her isolation, her heart ached so badly to see him again and now she was starting to hallucinate.
'It starts with voices' she groaned to herself, 'before long I will be talking to myself' shaking her head at her grim thoughts she sighed. Unwrapping herself from the warmth of the quilt she pushed herself to her feet. The instant coolness of the cell seeped into her body, but as she rubbed her hands up and down her dimpling flesh she prayed the cold would keep her mind firmly stuck in reality.
Pacing the small length of the cell, Jess shivered as she placed a hand over her mouth. The cold was starting to numb her limbs to the pain that coursed through her body and as she placed her injured foot upon the dirty cell floor she could almost put her full weight upon it. The dark bruising over her ankle seemed to merge with the darkness of the floor and it took for her to wiggle her toes to determine that it was still there.
'Jess!' the voice echoed in the distance. Its deep, masculine tone causing her breath to hitch in her throat as a small gasp escaped her mouth. A flicker of hope flared through her mind as she turned towards the bars, the voice had seemed louder to her than before. Taking a step towards the front of the cell she extended her hand outwards hopefully towards the metal rods, 'Dante?' her voice was barely audible as it left her mouth.
The sound of boots hitting the ground echoed around her, it caused her to still in her movements as fresh tears began to well in the corners of her eyes.
'Jess!' his voice was so close that it caused her heart to pound so hard against her rib cage she thought that the bones might shatter with its drumming.
'Please let it be you' she whispered only to rush towards the bars, 'Dante?' her voice bounced off the walls around her.
Dante spun his chest lurching painfully at the sound of her voice then as he saw the creamy flesh of her arm extend beyond the reach of a cell several feet away he found his feet moving towards her before his brain could react.
She felt the wetness soak her cheeks as his hand gripped her fingers, the ache in her chest sent them spilling down her face in large pear-shape drops. Each one screamed her relief as they fell. The heat that burned the coolness of her flesh caused her to push out a shuddering laugh as she trailed her eyes upwards towards his face.
'I found you' his voice drifted through the bars as his hand slid through the gap to cup the side of her face. The pad of his thumb stroked small circles over her jaw as he panted out a breath.
He pressed his body up against the cage keeping her parted from him. He entwined his fingers through the delicate digits of her own hand, clutching it close to his chest as he dropped his forehead against the bars so she could feel the rapid beating of his heart from behind its confines.
'I found you' he repeated his voice dropping to a faint whisper as the sudden feel of her caused his throat to close over with the rapid emotions swamping his system.
He closed his eyes as the softness of her soaked into the flesh of his face, the slow rubbing of her temple against his cheek as she tried to lean closer to him. His eyes opened as he felt the chilly tips of her fingers shake against the side of his jaw, it was a gentle caress feeling her way across his face in attempt to confirm his physical presence before her.
The sigh that left her mouth brushed against his lips and as he caught the overflowing emotion in her vivid green eyes he felt his heart lurch forward and punch against the bars between them.
'I'll get you out' he murmured, his hand slid from her face around to the back of her head to brace her to him for one final moment, 'get back'.
It was with a great reluctance that he let her slip from his grasp, his hands staying still so that they stroked back across the smooth skin of her jaw as she took a step away. His hand followed her as she retreated and as her fingers slipped across his palm, he closed his fist and braced it against a rusting metal rod.
He watched her as she retreated into the depths of the cell, until her back edged up against the damp slabs that lined the wall. Her hands pressed to either side of her hips, the slender fingers shaking with the ache to touch him once again.
Dante turned his eyes upwards, glancing at the stone that held the hard bars in place, it was sturdy and as he gave it a testing shake he noticed the metal rub dust against the circular groves that held them. It wouldn't hold, not against the determination he had to get to her. Taking several steps back, Dante turned his gaze to the horizontal beam that ran across the width of the slotted door. Flicking his gaze towards her face he gave her a swift nod and as she returned a faint smile Dante lifted the sole of his foot upwards.
Centering power down his leg, Dante sent his boot slamming against the beam. The force of the strength rushing through his veins caused a harsh roar to escape his mouth. It was swallowed in the heavy, metallic clanging of metal twisting inward. Stone burst from the ceiling, sending debris into the depths of the chamber and Jess to jump out of the way with a small cry.
Her hand went automatically to her throat as she held her breath. The barred door stood still, unmoving for a moment before the groaning sound of it falling from its standing position echoed around her. The metal sent dust and grit upwards in a pummeling cloud of dirt and as the rattling metal vibrated along the ground her eyes drew upwards.
He was already marching towards her, his long legs eating up the distance between them. Jess's arms reached for him before she needed to take a step, wrapping themselves around the nape of his neck as he gathered her into his embrace. The strength of his arms around her back pinned her to him as his face buried itself into the joining of her neck. She felt herself fall into him, the familiar heat of his body around her drawing her to him like a magnetic force. Her fingers gripped at the leather of his coat, clutching him to her so tightly that they ached, but she didn't care because her head and soul was screaming to never to let him go.
His head lifted from her neck, his jaw gliding upward towards the side of her face in its refusal to leave her touch. His fingers snaked into the waves of hair falling down her back, tangling themselves through the strands as he eased her away from him. He used the anchor of her hair to tilt her head upwards, his mouth already brushing across her skin in the search for her lips.
At the first touch of her mouth, his power flared outwards, reaching out for her in swirling crimson strings, wrapping around her and binding her to him as her lips skimmed and moved against his. He cupped the back of her head, fixing her to him as he pushed harder against her mouth in a desperate attempt to feel more of her against him. Her body moved with the motion of his, molding itself to each contour of his frame as if it was created for just that purpose. Then as the blood pumped violently through his veins he felt its demonic scream inside his head bellowing that it was.
It took every inch of his willpower to stem its flow, pulling it back into his body as he reluctantly drew his mouth away from her. He used the feel of her slow, hot breaths against his lips to steady himself as the power snapped inwards.
'I need to get you out of here' he stated and even though his body screamed in protest he stepped away from her.
Clutching her hand tightly in his fist, he led her across the room, only to still as the demonic aura that prickled around the cavernous room increased. Just as he reached the opening of the cell, he released her hand and rising his own to halt her from following him he urged her to stay.
Taking a step into the corridor Dante raked his eyes in either direction. There was nothing there but the denseness in the air was growing heavier with each passing second. It caused his upper lip to twitch as he tilted his head to listen for any sound that could pinpoint its location.
'Jess,' he whispered as his eyes narrowed along the length of the hallway, turning his body so that it angled towards her he held his hand out for her to grasp it, 'we need to..' his words were cut short as a black mass swirled in the corner of his eye.
A large, metal, circular mass came shooting out of its center, the large spikes that covered it glinted against the orange light of the torches that lit the area. It moved so fast towards him that Dante barely had time to pull Rebellion from his back. It was a split second before the ball made impact that he shoved the flat side of his blade against it. As it connected the vibrations that struck the sword soared up his arms as he forced them tight against the collision. The soles of his boots lost traction instantly against the slimy stone of the floor.
Jess screamed as he disappeared, his body sliding up the length of the hallway hidden behind the mass of the spiked, metal weapon. A chain extended from a loop connecting it to the black mass of shadow. Then just as she heard the faint crashing of stone in the distant the heavy, thudding sound of massive footfalls rocked the ground beneath her.
The demon charged past her, its helmet covered head lowered as its juggernaut-like form stormed down the corridor. The demonic roars that left its mouth filled the cavern-like room sending shards of sharp stone hanging from the ceiling downwards in large boulder-like pieces.
Jess ran out of the cell, her eyes widening in horror as she saw the massive beast crash through the wall at the end of the hallway. Stone rained down around it, blocking her view with clouds of dust and rumble.
'Dante!' she screamed his name in a panic-filled bellow. Fear constricting her heart as he vanished completely from her sight. She stumbled as her foot knocked against the fallen bars, sending her crashing to the ground with a heavy thud, but the pain was overridden by the terror of losing him seeping through every inch of her being.
She tried to scramble to her feet, her body urging her to follow the trail of destruction and find him, but as she rose she felt a sharp tug on her ankle, bringing her crashing to the floor once more.
Turning to glance over her shoulder, Jess gasped at the small gnome-like creature gripping her leg. Its pale face leered evilly up at her and as Jess kicked her leg out to dislodge it the creature shock its head and pointed behind her.
They inched out of the shadows, each one identical to the one that held her. They lurched towards her, grabbing at skin and flesh to pin her to the floor as Jess struggled and swatted at them to free her. They ignored her feeble attempts, using a strength that they didn't look like they possessed to lift her inches off the floor and trail her away.
Jess thrashed wildly and as her arm freed itself from their clutches she threw it above her head and grasped tightly to the rusted bars of the fallen doorway of her prison. Her fingers snagged on its bottom frame, locking tightly together so that the small demons had to tug and pull at her.
One of them skittered up her body on its hands and feet. Its small digits felt like rodent claws crawling over her flesh and as she suppressed the hard shudder that wanted to rippled down her spine she gritted her teeth. The demon climbed across her extended arm until it reached her closed fist. Its small hands pulling and plucking at her fingers for them to release, Jess tightened her grasp all the more and as the small demon sighed a rather dramatic reply it jumped into the air. Its small feet connected with her wrist, the strength of its body cracking the bones beneath her flesh. The pain that burned through was so intense that the scream shooting up her throat came out in a silent hissing of air. Her fingers slid uselessly from the bar to knock against the floor and as the demons hauled her away the bruised skin of her knuckles peeled against the stone.