Note: I changed the name of this chapter from 'Woozy Sword' to 'Heirlooms'. I just like it better this way. ^_^
A long conversation loaded chapter…in which we get some explanations.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 5: Heirlooms
Dante barely touched his food during dinner that night, his mind preoccupied with the day's earlier events and the expected events of tonight. He wondered what to say to Rob at dinner, but Rob apparently had not been told about the meeting after dinner yet.
"What's with you?" Rob asked. "You're acting all zoney."
"Yeah, sorry," Dante said not meeting his eyes. "Must have been something I ate. I'll see you later," he added abruptly and headed out of the cafeteria. Rob shrugged confusedly, then went back to eating.
Dante walked across the yard to Mr. Brenz office, kicking a rock along the way. He had been building his resolve for the last hour or two and was now determined to not reveal anything he knew without first getting information out of Brenz.
As he walked into the small lobby outside his office, the secretary gave him a sour look. "Mr. Brenz is waiting for you," she said crispy. Dante resisted the urge to flick her off. She probably thought he was going to get reprimanded for getting the girls with squirt guns last month. So far no one had mentioned it. Dante gave her a pleasantly false smile and said, with politeness that bordered on being mocking, "Why thank you!" and walked into Brenz's office.
Mr. Brenz was typing something at his computer and looked up as Dante walked in. "Ah, Dante. I was hoping you would show up. You are undoubtedly curious as to why I called you here," he said waving for Dante to take a seat across from his desk.
Dante sat down and nodded cautiously, trying not to reveal anything.
Brenz put his elbows on his desk and studied Dante over his interlaced fingers. "So much like his father," he murmured so that Dante could hear him. "First of all," he said at a normal voice level, "I should say I knew both your parents well. Very well," he added pointedly. "It was in fact because I knew them both so well that you are at this orphanage today and not some other one.
Dante sat unperturbed, just watching him.
Brenz sighed. "I'm going to be very blunt then. Perhaps more than I should be. You and I share a certain tie. My great, great grandfather was a demon, much like your father."
Dante tensed as he said that, and something glimmered in his eyes. Fear? Curiosity? Denial? Brenz wasn't sure.
"My great, great grandparents weren't quite as…happy…as yours were, though. He left her soon after…" Brenz floundered. How does one explain to and eleven year old that your great great grandfather had raped your great great grandmother and left her for dead?
"Anyway," he continued firmly. "The point is that your mother knew my history and felt that, were anything to happen to her, you and your brother should be transferred into my care. That way I could turn the other cheek to certain…let's say…occurrences that others would viewed with suspicion or concern. Such as your meeting that demon dog last month. Needless to say, and I don't want to pull up any bad memories, you alone made it here."
Dante swallowed. Brenz wondered if the boy was going to cry, but was surprised and impressed instead to find a rock hard, cold determination his blue eyes. Vengeful eyes, he noted to himself.
"I was also instructed to, at a point in the future that I deemed best, give you two objects your parents wanted you to have." Dante looked very interested.
"What type of objects?" he asked, the first thing he had said so far.
Brenz smiled faintly, then rose and went to his closet. Dante leaned in his chair to watch. From a hidden door in the side of the closet, Mr. Brenz pulled two objects. Dante's breath caught. One was a huge double edged sword with a hilt in the shape of dragon's mouth and wings. The other was a ruby red amulet on a metal linked chain.
"I would have preferred to give you these when you were around eighteen, but fate and time keep their own schedules. This sword," he said laying it across his desk, "is a gift from your father. I sure he would want you to use it wisely, and for the good of humanity, as he did with his sword. It's name is Force Edge. The amulet," he said, tossing it to him," is from your mother. It's a memento of sorts." There had also been one for Virgil, Brenz thought to himself, but someone or something had stolen it before he had been able to obtain it.
Dante looked into the amulet's red depths, thinking of his mother. He had only been eight when she was killed…but everything he remembered of her were memories of a good and kind mother who loved her sons dearly. Desperately, he thought suddenly, recalling how she would often stare out the windows at night with a worried look. Now he understood why.
"I'm giving these to you now instead of later because the circumstances seem right," Brenz said, jerking Dante out of his thoughts. "If you are attacked in the future, you had best be able to defend yourself with something other than a supersoaker. The other thing in question is Rob's involvement in these matters."
"Rob doesn't really know anything," Dante broke in quickly on Rob's behalf. "He hasn't told anyone about Blade either."
Brenz looked confused. "Blade? Oh the dog. Yes, well I know Rob well enough to know that while he seems content, he is desperately wanting to know more. He is also smart enough to know that you are hiding something from him. Dante, Rob needs to know everything. About the Underworld and more importantly about you."
Dante began to protest, but Brenz held up a hand. "It will test your friendship, I know. But if he does not find out now, he will undoubtedly find out later. And some things are best learned while still young."
"But what if he hates me?" Dante demanded. "What if he thinks I'm no better than the dog that attacked us?"
Brenz looked at him not without sympathy. "I understand your concern, and there is also a risk for me too in telling Rob the truth, but that something I am willing to take." Mr. Brenz punched a button on his desk. "I assume Rob is waiting outside, Ms. Mahoney?" he asked the secretary through the intercom. "Please send him in."
Rob walked in the door, his questioning look becoming a goggle-eyed stare when he saw Force Edge lying on the desk. He shot a look to Dante, back to sword, then to Mr. Brenz. "Um," he said uncomfortably.
"Take a seat, Robert," Brenz said. "We have some things to discuss. And I promise not to use the sword on you," he said wryly.
Rob sat down next to Dante and gave him a nervous grin. Dante couldn't help grin back, though it faded it quickly. "Mr. Brenz," Dante said suddenly, "Can I talk to Rob alone?"
Mr. Brenz looked taken aback, but nodded after a moment's hesitation. "As you wish. I trust you know what you are doing." He got up and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Rob jumped up. "Dante's what's going on?! That is a freaky giant sword there! Brenz didn't seemed pissed at us, but…"
Dante shushed him. "Rob…we're best friends right? I mean, we watch each other's back you know?" You wouldn't…I dunno, freak out or something if I told you something weird would you? I mean, we'd still be friends."
Rob gave him a look. "Dante, you sound like a girl. But…I dunno, yeah. We're buds. What are you talking about though?"
Dante took a long breath then said in a low voice. "Right. You know that dog that attacked last month during the raid?" Rob nodded. "Right…well…it wasn't a dog. It was a devil, like the kind with pitchforks. And it came from hell."
Rob stared at him. "Dante, what the HELL, are you talki--"
"Just let me finish," Dante said. "Okay, I don't what you believe, but there is a Underworld where demons live, and they can attack people, like they did with us. Not all the devils are bad, though," he added quickly. Rob said nothing, but obviously looked like he had no idea where Dante was going. "Right…so…sometimes…these demons can come to our world and…have kids," he finished lamely. "And my dad…well…"
Rob was still staring, but now a different look crept into his eyes. "Wait a second Dante. Are you saying your dad was a demon?!"
Dante looked straight at him. "Yeah. I know, I'm a freak, and I'll understand if you hate me or something, but--"
"Are you crazy?!" Rob shouted. "That's awesome! You're a fricking half demon! That's so cool!" [ah, boys are so amusing]
Dante blinked, unsure what to do. That had been the last response he had expected. "Seriously? You're not…freaked out? I mean, this stuff is real."
Rob rolled his eyes. "Duh. I've been thinking about that 'dog' thing too. Did you think I wouldn't notice that you always avoided talking about where it came from and stuff? Besides you've always been weird. Pfftt. But being half demon…I mean it's not like you're going to eat me or something. And now that I know, think of all the cool stunts we can pull off! Do you have any superpowers?"
"Ahem," a voice said from the doorway. Both boys spun to find Brenz poking his head through the door. "I trust everything is alright," he said with a grin that said he had overheard the last sentence or so.
The boys looked at each and grinned impishly. "Hell yeah!" they said together with a high five.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Well that was a very talky chapter…time for some action! ^_^
Next Chapter: Fight or Flight
A long conversation loaded chapter…in which we get some explanations.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 5: Heirlooms
Dante barely touched his food during dinner that night, his mind preoccupied with the day's earlier events and the expected events of tonight. He wondered what to say to Rob at dinner, but Rob apparently had not been told about the meeting after dinner yet.
"What's with you?" Rob asked. "You're acting all zoney."
"Yeah, sorry," Dante said not meeting his eyes. "Must have been something I ate. I'll see you later," he added abruptly and headed out of the cafeteria. Rob shrugged confusedly, then went back to eating.
Dante walked across the yard to Mr. Brenz office, kicking a rock along the way. He had been building his resolve for the last hour or two and was now determined to not reveal anything he knew without first getting information out of Brenz.
As he walked into the small lobby outside his office, the secretary gave him a sour look. "Mr. Brenz is waiting for you," she said crispy. Dante resisted the urge to flick her off. She probably thought he was going to get reprimanded for getting the girls with squirt guns last month. So far no one had mentioned it. Dante gave her a pleasantly false smile and said, with politeness that bordered on being mocking, "Why thank you!" and walked into Brenz's office.
Mr. Brenz was typing something at his computer and looked up as Dante walked in. "Ah, Dante. I was hoping you would show up. You are undoubtedly curious as to why I called you here," he said waving for Dante to take a seat across from his desk.
Dante sat down and nodded cautiously, trying not to reveal anything.
Brenz put his elbows on his desk and studied Dante over his interlaced fingers. "So much like his father," he murmured so that Dante could hear him. "First of all," he said at a normal voice level, "I should say I knew both your parents well. Very well," he added pointedly. "It was in fact because I knew them both so well that you are at this orphanage today and not some other one.
Dante sat unperturbed, just watching him.
Brenz sighed. "I'm going to be very blunt then. Perhaps more than I should be. You and I share a certain tie. My great, great grandfather was a demon, much like your father."
Dante tensed as he said that, and something glimmered in his eyes. Fear? Curiosity? Denial? Brenz wasn't sure.
"My great, great grandparents weren't quite as…happy…as yours were, though. He left her soon after…" Brenz floundered. How does one explain to and eleven year old that your great great grandfather had raped your great great grandmother and left her for dead?
"Anyway," he continued firmly. "The point is that your mother knew my history and felt that, were anything to happen to her, you and your brother should be transferred into my care. That way I could turn the other cheek to certain…let's say…occurrences that others would viewed with suspicion or concern. Such as your meeting that demon dog last month. Needless to say, and I don't want to pull up any bad memories, you alone made it here."
Dante swallowed. Brenz wondered if the boy was going to cry, but was surprised and impressed instead to find a rock hard, cold determination his blue eyes. Vengeful eyes, he noted to himself.
"I was also instructed to, at a point in the future that I deemed best, give you two objects your parents wanted you to have." Dante looked very interested.
"What type of objects?" he asked, the first thing he had said so far.
Brenz smiled faintly, then rose and went to his closet. Dante leaned in his chair to watch. From a hidden door in the side of the closet, Mr. Brenz pulled two objects. Dante's breath caught. One was a huge double edged sword with a hilt in the shape of dragon's mouth and wings. The other was a ruby red amulet on a metal linked chain.
"I would have preferred to give you these when you were around eighteen, but fate and time keep their own schedules. This sword," he said laying it across his desk, "is a gift from your father. I sure he would want you to use it wisely, and for the good of humanity, as he did with his sword. It's name is Force Edge. The amulet," he said, tossing it to him," is from your mother. It's a memento of sorts." There had also been one for Virgil, Brenz thought to himself, but someone or something had stolen it before he had been able to obtain it.
Dante looked into the amulet's red depths, thinking of his mother. He had only been eight when she was killed…but everything he remembered of her were memories of a good and kind mother who loved her sons dearly. Desperately, he thought suddenly, recalling how she would often stare out the windows at night with a worried look. Now he understood why.
"I'm giving these to you now instead of later because the circumstances seem right," Brenz said, jerking Dante out of his thoughts. "If you are attacked in the future, you had best be able to defend yourself with something other than a supersoaker. The other thing in question is Rob's involvement in these matters."
"Rob doesn't really know anything," Dante broke in quickly on Rob's behalf. "He hasn't told anyone about Blade either."
Brenz looked confused. "Blade? Oh the dog. Yes, well I know Rob well enough to know that while he seems content, he is desperately wanting to know more. He is also smart enough to know that you are hiding something from him. Dante, Rob needs to know everything. About the Underworld and more importantly about you."
Dante began to protest, but Brenz held up a hand. "It will test your friendship, I know. But if he does not find out now, he will undoubtedly find out later. And some things are best learned while still young."
"But what if he hates me?" Dante demanded. "What if he thinks I'm no better than the dog that attacked us?"
Brenz looked at him not without sympathy. "I understand your concern, and there is also a risk for me too in telling Rob the truth, but that something I am willing to take." Mr. Brenz punched a button on his desk. "I assume Rob is waiting outside, Ms. Mahoney?" he asked the secretary through the intercom. "Please send him in."
Rob walked in the door, his questioning look becoming a goggle-eyed stare when he saw Force Edge lying on the desk. He shot a look to Dante, back to sword, then to Mr. Brenz. "Um," he said uncomfortably.
"Take a seat, Robert," Brenz said. "We have some things to discuss. And I promise not to use the sword on you," he said wryly.
Rob sat down next to Dante and gave him a nervous grin. Dante couldn't help grin back, though it faded it quickly. "Mr. Brenz," Dante said suddenly, "Can I talk to Rob alone?"
Mr. Brenz looked taken aback, but nodded after a moment's hesitation. "As you wish. I trust you know what you are doing." He got up and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Rob jumped up. "Dante's what's going on?! That is a freaky giant sword there! Brenz didn't seemed pissed at us, but…"
Dante shushed him. "Rob…we're best friends right? I mean, we watch each other's back you know?" You wouldn't…I dunno, freak out or something if I told you something weird would you? I mean, we'd still be friends."
Rob gave him a look. "Dante, you sound like a girl. But…I dunno, yeah. We're buds. What are you talking about though?"
Dante took a long breath then said in a low voice. "Right. You know that dog that attacked last month during the raid?" Rob nodded. "Right…well…it wasn't a dog. It was a devil, like the kind with pitchforks. And it came from hell."
Rob stared at him. "Dante, what the HELL, are you talki--"
"Just let me finish," Dante said. "Okay, I don't what you believe, but there is a Underworld where demons live, and they can attack people, like they did with us. Not all the devils are bad, though," he added quickly. Rob said nothing, but obviously looked like he had no idea where Dante was going. "Right…so…sometimes…these demons can come to our world and…have kids," he finished lamely. "And my dad…well…"
Rob was still staring, but now a different look crept into his eyes. "Wait a second Dante. Are you saying your dad was a demon?!"
Dante looked straight at him. "Yeah. I know, I'm a freak, and I'll understand if you hate me or something, but--"
"Are you crazy?!" Rob shouted. "That's awesome! You're a fricking half demon! That's so cool!" [ah, boys are so amusing]
Dante blinked, unsure what to do. That had been the last response he had expected. "Seriously? You're not…freaked out? I mean, this stuff is real."
Rob rolled his eyes. "Duh. I've been thinking about that 'dog' thing too. Did you think I wouldn't notice that you always avoided talking about where it came from and stuff? Besides you've always been weird. Pfftt. But being half demon…I mean it's not like you're going to eat me or something. And now that I know, think of all the cool stunts we can pull off! Do you have any superpowers?"
"Ahem," a voice said from the doorway. Both boys spun to find Brenz poking his head through the door. "I trust everything is alright," he said with a grin that said he had overheard the last sentence or so.
The boys looked at each and grinned impishly. "Hell yeah!" they said together with a high five.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Well that was a very talky chapter…time for some action! ^_^
Next Chapter: Fight or Flight