Blood Ties

Dante tugged lightly on his right wrist. His blood dripped slowly down the obsidian spike that protruded through his wrist. The ache was finally beginning to subside. He was crucified to a large black concave stone by both wrists and ankles. The stone seemed partially fluid; parts of it flowed upwards over him like sludge.

Kerlak and Raynok stopped several feet away to get a better look. "That is beautiful," Kerlak commented.

"Of course it is," Raynok said. "That is him. Father. We owe him for bringing us home."

"You mean we've been worshipping a large rock!"

"No." Raynok glowered at her. "It's only a form. Father's spirit is in there. Feasting."

"Speaking of feasts, why isn't he finished with this one?" Kerlak approached the rock again. She saw Dante's upper body protrude from the black sludge. He stared back at her. "He seems to have a little trouble digesting his meal."

"Good meals are best digested slowly. You never know when you may need another."

Kerlak continued sharing a stare with Dante. "Raynok, will you leave us for a moment?"

"What?"

"I said leave us."

"Why? What do you intend to do?"

Kerlak leaned over and lightly kissed Raynok on his cheek. "Do not doubt me for a minute. We're home now. What could possibly go wrong?"

"I hate when you say things like that."

"Go explore. We've been away too long."

Raynok glanced up at Dante, then nodded. "Fine. Just don't get too comfortable."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"You don't dream." Raynok feigned a bow and left her. He took a route on the other side of the stone as if to deliberately hide Kerlak from his view. Kerlak waited a few seconds before approaching the stone. She touched it lightly to let the sludge slide over her hand.

"Are you enjoying this?" Dante called to her.

Kerlak shrugged and pulled her hand free. She spread her arms and levitated until she was level with Dante. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Agree to come here."

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Actually, yes and no. You could have easily tried to fight your way out. That's what I would have expected from the son of Sparda."

"No offense to my father and all, but you have no idea how sick I am of being referred to as the son of Sparda. I have a name."

"I know, but the name 'Dante' doesn't have as much oomf as 'son of Sparda.' Get used to it."

"I'm a slave of his legacy," Dante whispered.

"Exactly. Speaking of legacies, that's why I sent Raynok away. I wanted to talk to you about my own."

"What if I don't care?"

"You will care when you hear what I have to say."

"I doubt that."

"Haven't you ever wondered just how far a demon's blood could go, if it were pushed hard enough?"

"There is no limit except that in the mind."

"My thoughts exactly." Kerlak touched Dante's face. He realized too late that he had no room to withdraw from her hand. "Sadly, there really is a limit. That limit lies in the blood. It is a sacred fluid, but it makes us what we are. It makes you what you are."

"Only partially."

"No, fully. Take Lilith, for instance. She does you no justice."

"What do you mean?"

"She's a nice placeholder, but in the end, what could she possibly do for you? Why not someone who was truly demon to carry your line?"

"Are you suggesting . . ."

"Yes, I am. Deanna was an accident. You know this. The world of demons needs a leader, a strong leader. I know you won't do it. At least, give me someone who would."

Dante didn't know what to say. He laughed instead.

"What is so funny?"

The laughter suddenly died. "The answer is no. I'm sure the universe will agree with me. Lilith does a perfect job in my father's name, and I don't appreciate being chosen to father a king of demons. You make me sick."

"I can get past that."

"You're really desperate, aren't you?"

"I'll pretend you didn't say that."

"You do that. I'll be honest with you. I don't want you to be having any rugrats of mine. I already have Lilith, and she's two too many."

Kerlak slammed her hand into the stone and got it stuck in the sludge. She yanked it free and floated to the ground. "We shall see, son of Sparda. I can make you wish you were dead."

Dante narrowed his eyes. "I'm not afraid to die."

"Then I will make you afraid to live."

*
Lilith raised her blood covered hand to the air. She stood in the spot where the statue once sat. The temple was empty except for Lilith and the red pair of eyes that peered at her from the darkness.

"Dad, I was right. Sometimes it's a blessing; sometimes it's a curse. Right now it's a curse for us both, but it may yet be your blessing." She drew a sigil through the air. The blood on her hand traced the sigil and remained suspended in the air.

"Here we go. Wish me luck, Grandpa." Sparda didn't respond, but she didn't wait for a response. Lilith slapped her palm against the sigil and was engulfed into the darkness.

"Hurry back, child," a voice said from the shadows.

*
Deanna stared at the picture and sighed. She flipped through the photo album five times. Each time confirmed her greatest character flaw. There were over 200 pictures there, but there wasn't even one picture featuring her and Lilith together. After the fifth look, she threw the book against the wall.

"I'm not her anymore. Why does it bother me?" She lay against the bed. It felt familiar to her, but unwelcoming. "This is wrong." An indistinct memory of lying under the sheets in the nude came to her. She remembered Dante sliding the sheets off her and kissing her oblique. She shivered and sat up. "That was very wrong."

Whimpering at the door got her attention. The little puppy Lilith brought her pushed its way into the room. It scuttled to Deanna's feet. She picked it up and held it against her chest. Deanna stood and rubbed her face. "I have to get out of here." She flexed her hand. "I'm not real. Just a golem." She picked up the album and carefully set it onto the bed. "I'm doing it again."

She carried the puppy dowstairs to the living room. She set it down and sat so she could think about her next move. The puppy leaned against her leg. "I should say something to them, but what?" After a quick consideration, she collected some paper and a pen. She slowly wrote down something, then left it there. "How about a walk?" she asked the dog. It merely tilted its head to the side. "I knew you'd say something like that."

*
Lilith ran through the puddles of magma in search of an escape. A demon scorpion was only a few steps behind her. It chased her through an extensive cavern system that appeared to have been deliberately carved with comfort in mind. She continued running, even after she noticed the large pit ahead. With a hefty push on the edge of the pit, she soared over it and landed on the other side. The demon scorpion leapt after her. Lilith had already continued down the cavern, so she didn't see the scorpion miss the edge and topple into the pit.

Lilith didn't stop until she entered a greater room in the caverns. It seemed as large as an amphitheater. A cascade of lava flowed from the wall into a river of lava, which in turn continued farther into the cavern. In the distance, she could see the river drop into a second cascade. The top of the first cascade was merely a few feet from her. She stood several hundred feet above the river.

"This is worse than when Dad began teaching me to fly."

Lilith heard the rock behind her shift. She waiting until the a pair of arms protruded from the rock wall. Before the arms could grab her, she leapt up and twisted in midair. A volley of bullets from Tiamat and Marduk bounced off the rock. Lilith devil triggered to sprout wings. Bolts of lightning flashed from her hands until the rock arms crumpled to dust.

Beneath Lilith, in the lava river, a great beast of fire rose from the river. Lilith turned in time to see it slap her against the rock face. The impact knocked her out of devil trigger. The fire beast released her to let her slide to the floor. Part of the way down, Lilith pulled Sparda free and swung it at the fire beast. The flaming red sword spun as a scythe towards the fire beast. The beast split itself to avoid the scythe's path. The sword rebound and continued towards the fire beast. The blade's tip nicked the demon across its torso. To prevent further assault, the demon melted back into the river.

Lilith caught Sparda with one hand and devil triggered again. She flew up to the top of the cascade and hovered. From there, she surveyed the river. She had Sparda in her left hand and her right hand ready to attack. Beneath her, the lava cascade began to bubble. Lilith rushed forward as the fire demon returned from the cascade. It stretched itself to chase her throughout the entire cavern. Lilith swung at it with Sparda several times. Each time it split into another demon. Eventually, she would have to think of something else or be overrun with them.

Lilith finally made a last ditch flight for the end of the river. One of the lave demons burst upwards to block her path. Rather than break through it, Lilith raised her right hand. A shower of ice froze the creature in its path. Lilith flipped in midair and threw ice showers in every direction until every demon was covered. She flew above them and covered them with a second and third layer of ice. As the ice settled, Lilith threw Sparda through them and flew for the second cascade. She folded her wings against her back and fell upside down towards the bottom. She heard the ice shatter above as Sparda flew through it. The sword found its way to her again right before she hit the lava.

*

"I don't believe this." Kerlak paced in front of the concave stone. "Me, of all people, you refuse me. Maybe it's my fault. I should have better taste. Then again, is that possible? Look what you made me do!" she yelled at Dante. "You have me all confused!"

Dante was no longer in the mood to laugh. Some of the blood in his wounds began to grow stagnant. He could feel some of his muscles going into minor spasms. He paid no attention to Kerlak ranting on the ground. "Will you please shut up?"

Though he whispered it, Kerlak stopped as if she'd heard him. "I think it's time to handle this. I don't care if you are food for the gods. I'm a woman scorned."

Before she could take a single step, a shockwave rumbled through the ground. Kerlak fell to one knee as a geyser of lava broke through the ground behind her. Some of it splashed across her, but she didn't mind. "That was unexpected." She looked down to assess how much her clothes had been ruined. She gasped when she realized she wasn't covered in lava after all, but blood.

Kerlak stood and turned. The geyser was much weaker already. Blood spurted into the air at quick intervals. Above, just beyond the reach of the geyser, Lilith hovered in devil form. Kerlak lifted her hand and motioned for Lilith to approach her. Lilith flew towards her, returned to human form, and dropped to Kerlak's side.

Kerlak felt uneasy, but she couldn't determine why. "Lilith. Dante's rugrat."

Lilith nodded. "Hello to you, too."

There was something about Lilith that disturbed Kerlak. Still, she intended to keep the upper hand. "I suppose you're here to rescue your father."

Lilith smirked. "That's part of it, but I'm not here alone."

"What do you mean?" Kerlak dared.

Lilith's smirk widened. As she spoke, her voice suddenly dropped into a masculine tone. "Actually, I'm here for my son."

Kerlak's mouth opened as she realized what was happening. Before Kerlak could say anything, Lilith spun and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to Kerlak's abdomen. The force knocked Kerlak into the air. She flew backwards towards Dante, hit the stone, and slid downwards. Before her feet touched the ground, Lilith rushed forward and seized Kerlak by her face. Lilith's nails tore into Kerlak's flesh. Lilith turned on her heel, seized Kerlak by the back of her head, and smashed Kerlak's face into the stone. Lilith felt Kerlak's skull shatter under the impact. "Feast, and be nourished." The sludge oozed over Kerlak's face. Lilith released her and stepped away as the sludge gradually absorbed Kerlak's body into the rock.

"Give him back," Lilith muttered to the rock. When nothing happened in response, she pounded on it once with both fists. "Give him back!"

Dante watched in awe as everything unfolded so quickly. "Lilith?" he tried to call as his muscles cramped again. Lilith stopped what she was doing to look back at him. "She's in the car," he said, "but someone else is driving."

*
Raynok tossed the stone into the air and caught it repeatedly. He danced in several directions on his way back to Kerlak. He stopped when he heard someone scream, "Give him back!" Raynok dropped the stone and ran towards where he left Kerlak and Dante.

*

Lilith stepped back again to get a clearer view. "This is too easy. I know you're in there. Come out so we can finish what we started 2000 years ago."
A low rumbling eminated from the stone. "Sparda," it called.
"I'm listening," Lilith responded. She heard someone yell at her from behind the stone. With a wry smile, she strafed around the stone until she was face to face with Raynok. "Hello," she sneered at him. "I suppose you're here to fight me."

"I can't believe you actually made it. Where is Kerlak?"

"Your father's having her for dinner. In the meantime, I've come for mine."

Raynok cracked his knuckles. "You can't have him. He's bound to stay here through his own father's failings."

Lilith closed her eyes as if she were in a deep meditation. Raynok squirmed as thick trails of blood flowed from her eyes. "His fate is no failing of mine," she said. Once again her voice had become deeply masculine.

"Who are you?"

"I've come to finish what we started two millenia ago." Lilith leapt into the air and flipped backwards. She landed on the stone. "What are you willing to sacrifice so I may kill him again!" Lilith dropped herself over the other side and devil triggered. She hovered in front of Dante. He was already unconscious. She wasted no time in breaking his bonds with her bare hands. She caught him as he fell forward and lowered him to the ground. "Now it's your turn to be rescued. Family business should really pay overtime."

Lilith flew to the top of the stone and returned to human form. "What do you say, Raynok! Wanna play!"

"What is this you speak of?"

"Idiot." Lilith felt the stone vibrate through her. She stomped once. "Are you awake?" The sludge split from the stone and oozed over the ground. A pale face with small black eyes emerged from the edge as the rest of the sludge took on a humanoid form. Lilith hissed in excitement as the face gazed up at her. "It's been a long time."

The face opened its flat, almost indiscernible lips. "Not long enough, child of Sparda. What do you want?"

"I came originally to take back what is mine, but now I want to see you."

"Why do you mock me?"

"I have nothing better to do. Now, if you'll excuse me." Lilith flipped off the stone and landed beside Dante. She faltered for a moment when she saw him lying there. For an instant, she remembered a vision of her father lying on the ground, but there was one difference. There was no red mark on his face. "There will be now." Suddenly aware of what she had to do, she kneeled beside him and wiped blood from her right eye. She drew a mandala on his forehead. "With this mark, I set you free."

Lilith jumped to her feet as Dante's eyes opened. He sat up and reached for her, but she backed away. "Lilith?" he asked weakly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry," Lilith answered. "I can't explain right now. You have something to do first. For both of us."

"What?" Dante fell back and winced as flames burst from his body. A mandala formed by the fire emerged around him.

"Go!" Lilith encouraged him. "Return to me when you are ready!"

The flames leaped towards the sky and engulfed Dante in a dancing inferno. A second later, the fire died, and Dante was gone. Lilith sighed in relief before a massive headache hit her. It lasted only a second, but it was enough to drop Lilith to her knees. She felt more blood gush from her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked herself.

"Rest child," Sparda said in her head. "Let me take over. I will take care of this." Lilith screamed as, for the first time, she transformed fully with Sparda's Sorrow.

The pale face turned to look at Raynok. "Hello," it said to him.

"Who are you?" Raynok asked between gasps.

"I am the one you have fed and cared for for all these centuries."

Raynok's mouth opened slightly. "Father?"

"Yes." The creature spoke with a hiss as if it were partially serpentine. "Come to me, and let me reward you."

Raynok was still for a moment, then stepped back. He shook his head. "I don't think that would be wise."

The face sneered. "Do not deny me!" A pale hand emerged from the sludge and grabbed Raynok around his throat. "I will kill you."