Only Human
Lucia and Lilith pressed themselves against the cave wall as they strained to hear Ariel inside. They inched further inside until they heard Ariel screaming. Lilith pulled Taimat and Marduk from their holsters and sped towards Ariel with Lucia in tow. Seconds later they were greeted with an unpleasant sight. Ariel was standing with her half of the Idda Corrof. Koromos was holding the other half. As if in slow motion, Lilith and Lucia raised their weapons to interfere, but the two halves were joined before any bullets or darts could get in the way. The Idda Corrof emitted a blinding light as it sealed itself into one whole piece. Then the light dimmed.
Everyone was silent as they waited anxiously for something to happen. Lilith raised a gun again and pulled the trigger. The bullet slid past the Idda Corrof as the artifact slammed itself into Ariel's chest. Lucia threw a dart which grazed Ariel's neck. Ariel rubbed the wound and was shocked to feel warm blood flow between her fingers.
At the same time, Lilith aimed for Koromos. Two bullets went into his chest. Koromos returned with a single shot that went through Lilith's chest. She stopped in the middle of the melee when she realized it felt different than it should have. She dropped her guns as she fell over and blacked out.
(X)
Dante slid his cell phone's ear piece into his ear and adjusted the microphone as the person on the other end yacked away. Dante ignored half of what was said long enough to fidget with his house keys. Out of frustration, he handed them to Isaiah, who shrugged and did the honor of opening the door.
Isaiah fought the urge to laugh as he stepped into the house and tossed the keys over his shoulder. Dante caught them with one hand. He kicked the door closed and yanked the ear piece free. He closed the cell phone in the hopes the person wouldn't call back.
"Bad news?" Isaiah teased.
Dante rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I hate being emperor."
"You have no idea how often emperors have said that."
"Too many," Dante guessed. He gave a quick habitual glance towards the divan.
Isaiah noticed. "Are you worried?"
"Just a little, but more out of habit than real concern. You thirsty?"
"For the first time in a century, yes I am." Isaiah tinkered with the CD player in the living room. "You're very unusual," he said aloud.
"Why is that?" Dante called from the kitchen.
"I hoped you didn't hear that." Isaiah waited for Dante to return before answering. "What is it with your temples?"
"What?" Dante laughed as he placed both glasses onto the coffee table. "Why would you ask such an absurd question?"
"Your temples," Isaiah repeated. "You have no clergy."
"Oh, that was on purpose."
"Why? What god would not want someone to spread his ideas?"
"The kind that realizes that humans should stay out of such politics. They are much happier when they can think for themselves."
"Ooh."
(X)
Lucia stepped over Lilith's body. Koromos grabbed Ariel and used her as a shield.
"You are a coward," Lucia accused him as she brandished a Cutlaseer. "You hide behind another rather than face me."
Koromos pointed his gun at Lilith. "I would be more concerned about your princess than my courage. She's probably dying."
"Then so will you!" Lucia reached for another dart as she threw herself towards him. Koromos tossed Ariel aside and raised his gun for Lucia. Before he could pull the trigger, another shot rang unexpectedly through the cave. Ariel was already headed for the cave entrance. She screamed as a bullet from Lilith's gun pierced her shoulder, and she fell from the entrance. Lucia drove a Cutlaseer through Koromos's abdomen. He pushed her back against the cave wall and pulled the Cutlaseer free. Lucia charged again with the other Cutlaseer. Koromos parried every attack until he knocked the Cutlaseer from her hand.
Lucia jumped back and tried to transform. To her horror, the transformation light flickered and quickly died. Nothing else happened. Koromos threw the Cutlaseer at Lucia's head. She barely managed to dodge as Koromos ran for the cave entrance. Lucia moved as if to chase him, then she remembered Lilith still lying on the cave floor.
Lucia dropped to Lilith's side and shook Lilith's arm, which caused the princess to moan in pain. "That wasn't supposed to happen," Lilith groaned. "What the hell happened?" She inhaled and spat a bloody lump onto the ground.
"Ariel and Koromos combined the Idda Corrof. We have to get back to your father." Lucia hoisted Lilith to her feet. "We have to hurry. You're dying."
(X)
Koromos slid down the mountainside for several minutes before he caught up with Ariel's body. She lay prone on the mountain covered with scratches and bruises from her fall and tumblings. He skidded to a stop by her side and propped her up. She pushed him away when she realized whom he was.
"Leave me alone. I don't need you now."
"On the contrary," Koromos said. "You need me more than anything now."
Ariel rubbed her neck wound as she tried to stand. "Why is that?"
"You did something very bad. You are about to have one the world's most powerful men out for your life."
"Why is that?"
"You may possibly be responsible for the death of his daughter. You'll need someone to keep him off your back."
Ariel grimaced. She took one step down the mountain and slid a short distance. Koromos lowered himself after her and grabbed her arm. "Let me go!" she demanded.
"Make me." Ariel offered very little resistance as Koromos pulled her back to her feet and began to drag her the rest of the way down the mountain.
"It entered my chest," Ariel said. "The Idda Corrof is inside my body."
"And everyone on the planet from both Heaven and Hell will be trying to slice you open to get to it."
Ariel rubbed a sore spot on her chest. "What have I done? This isn't what I wanted."
"Famous last words."
(X)
Lilith shivered as a doctor placed an oxygen mask over her face. "I don't want it!" She pushed the doctor's hand away. Normally, she would have had the strength to throw him across the floor, but this time she was feeling uncomfortably human. The doctor didn't go anywhere. She helplessly waited for him and the others to complete their tasks. When they were done, she saw her father order them out with a simple wave of his hand.
Lilith watched as he reached into his mouth and removed his labret. When it slid free, the hole it left closed instantly without a mark. Dante held her hand up and placed the labret into her palm. "Hold on to that for me."
Dante saw her lips move, but he couldn't hear what she was saying. He leaned in closely. "What was that?" he asked softly.
"Be careful what you wish for," Lilith said. "Mine has come true."
Dante leaned back. "I'll fix it. I promise."
"How?"
"I will. I always do." Dante moved to walk away, but he was distracted by something large that flew past the window. An impossible thought passed through his mind before he continued on. He closed the door silently.
Isaiah was cracking his knuckles as he waited on the other side of the hall. He met Dante halfway while still cracking his knuckles. "She lives?"
"Barely." Dante grabbed Isaiah's hands to stop the cracking. Isaiah smirked as he pulled his hands free and clasped them behind his back. "If you do that again, I'll break your neck."
Isaiah continued smiling. "What makes you think you can trust these people to keep their mouths shut? If word gets out about what's just happened, your reign will be in jeopardy."
"They won't talk. I have a special trust with the people of Dumaray Island."
"And if they talk anyway?"
"Then I'll have to treat them like I would anyone else under the circumstances."
"In other words?"
"I'll hunt down the bastards and rip their hearts out."
"Yummy."
(X)
Lilith heard something scraping against glass. Her own heartbeat grew louder in her ears as she was overcome with a disorienting sensation. She closed her eyes and waited for something to happen. She faded away into sleep for a moment, then awoke when someone's hand brushed against her cheek. A man was standing next to her hospital bed.
"Am I dreaming?" she asked.
"Does it matter right now?" the man asked. He opened her palm and took the labret. "It feels strange, doesn't it? You never had to worry about dying before."
Lilith focused on the man for a moment before her mind reached total clarity. "Grandpa?"
"That is what you call me, isn't it?" The man placed the labret aside and took Lilith's hand. "I told you that you were going to die. Did you doubt me?"
"I still do."
"Good. I have no idea why we do this. Do you? Don't answer that. I already know what you'll say." He grabbed a chair and placed it by her bed. "I have something to teach you and your father. It's the only thing that can help you get your powers back." He reached over and wiped a drop of blood from the side of her eye.
"What do you want?" Lilith asked.
"I want you to stop whining about your life. You are a princess and a goddess. It's very unbecoming."
Lilith groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Don't bother complaining," Sparda said. "Let me show you something."
