Devil May Cry: The Siren's Call

AN: I still don't own him, wish I did but I don't. However I own Cassandra, Erené and Tallia and every other OC! Muahahahahahahahahahaha…. cough> oh just read it k!

Chapter 4: Darker Skies

The snow fell lightly in the cobblestone streets of the old section of the city. A few people scurried through that white haze but it was unusually quiet for the middle of the day. Thick black smoke drifted up occasionally breaking up the monotonous white.

'Doesn't it seem a little too quiet to you?' Tallia asked stopping as they reached a four-way intersection. 'I mean shouldn't there be like a busy market on this side of town?'

Erené paused. 'You're right.'

'Where did he go?' Cassandra asked turning around looking for the devil hunter that had accompanied them to Paris.

'Who cares…' Erené answered concentrating on each fork before them. 'We go this way. If he is too slow to keep up that's not our problem.' She started walking in that direction, but paused again. 'Or is it this way?'

'WHAT!' Her two sisters answered simultaneously.

Erené laughed nervously. 'Well it's hard to tell. There's so much negative energy coming from this place that I'm not sure where we're going…'

'Then we just have to do it the old fashioned way. With our eyes.' Cassandra deduced. 'Otherwise Erené will have us all turned into blocks of ice.'

'Let's just each take a road and we meet back here in an hour.' Tallia answered taking the left fork.

'All right. I'll go this way.' Cassandra said leaving Erené to take the middle road.

There was nothing but empty and decrepit houses along her path. Her long dark hair was billowing behind her and her eyes scanned the area cautiously. There was a thick and heavy smell that clung to the air. The smell of death and other rotting things filled her nose.

'I don't like this way already.' She whispered pulling her whip closer. She could hear the sounds of metal shutters blowing in the wind. 'This was supposed to be a bustling part of the city. What happened here?'

Cautiously she stepped forward, incase there was a trap lying in wait for her. She scanned the area, focusing on each individual house. Some were totally leveled; others had roofs collapsed and all the gardens seemed to have been dead for a long time. Only weeds flourished in this part of town.

(sniffle) achoo! Shhh! They'll hear you. Shut up. You shut up! No you shut up!

'Huh!' Cassandra answered turning towards that sudden outburst. 'Who's there?' She asked stepping towards one of the more stable looking ruins.

No!

She opened the gate and followed the noise. For a moment it sounded like little kids arguing. There was no need to use the door; one side of the house had a large crack in it. She slipped through easily only to be confronted by three little kids.

'Monster!' A young girl cried. 'Let's get 'em!' Aaaaaachooo!

She blinked at them. 'You look cold.' She answered taking her coat off and wrapping around the little girl. 'Any better?'

'Miss general is she a monster? Should we still get her.' The two boys with her asked leaning forward looking at the smaller girl.

'Nah. She's no monster. We'll let her live.' The girl said relishing the warmth of her coat. 'So if you wanna live lady you better tell me your name, 'fore I change my mind.'

Cassandra doubted that they could really take her on but she humored them. 'It's Cassandra Marie Le Minuette. And what are your names, if I may ask?'

The smaller of the boys coughed. 'I'm Pierre.' He said, 'and this is my brother Louis.'

'I am Miss General!' The girl answered. 'But you can call me Valerie. We are the Resistance against the Queen of Paris. We fight every injustice of this world and we liberate other children left in her wake. Pierre show her how many warriors we have.'

The boy held up six fingers. 'It's a lot of soldiers isn't it?'

'Yes it is.' Cassandra asked. 'Where are you're parents?'

All three children looked to the floor. 'The monsters took them.' Louis said. 'Our mother was taken to work for the queen and our father for the mines.'

Vallerie stood up straight. 'And mine were killed because they resisted. If I am to die it will be the same way!' Aaaachooo!

She was about to say something when there was a deep growl. Almost wolf like, almost.

'It's them…' Louis whispered crawling into a little hidey-hole.

'Hide!' Valerie whispered, also finding somewhere she could hide. 'You too Cassandra this beast is a monster!'

Cassandra peaked out the window to see a large and mutated hell hound stalking the streets sniffing the road and the rubble of nearby houses. Saliva oozed from its dagger like jaws, and she could smell the rotting flesh from where she stood.

Again it growled making its presence felt. It looked as though it had picked up a scent and she knew it was hers. She had led the beast right to the children, but she wasn't going to let it have them.

'Stay here!' Cassandra commanded running out onto the street. 'You hungry dog? Come and get it!'

He watched from the rooftops as she attacked and parried the hell hounds blows. It wasn't a very powerful creature but they were fast and it still hurt like hell when they scratched and bit. She struck at it from its side and only just barely managed to dodge the poison spit that came her way. She kicked the thing hard and finally drew her bow and arrow lightning fast. One shot to the head and the beast was down.

'You could have helped you know!' She shouted out loudly. He knew she was talking to him.

'Why? You had things under control…' He laughed jumping down and meeting her. 'Besides it would have been too easy for you then.'

'Right…' She answered retrieving her arrow from the corpse. 'Whatever. Where did you run off to any way?'

He shrugged. 'I didn't run I walked. You're sisters were so focused on getting to where ever it was you were going that you didn't even notice me leave.'

She smiled as the three children stepped out onto the street. 'It's all right Valerie I've killed the monster.'

Valerie and the other boys stared at her in shock. 'How? That beast killed hundreds of people!' The little girl cried. 'Not even two devil hunters could kill it! It killed Louis' sister…' She paused as she noticed the man standing behind Cassandra.

'He looks just like him!' Pierre crooned. 'Like Monsieur Sparda!'

Louis stepped back. 'Sir, please allow us to help you in any way.'

'Yes, allow us to help you!' Valerie said kneeling.

The devil hunter raised his eyebrow. 'What on earth are they yabbering about?'

Cassandra shrugged. 'Come with me. I have to get you out of this place.'

'Can our soldiers come too?' Louis asked somberly. 'I don't want to leave with out Sandra.'

'Bring them all.' Cassandra said kneeling in front of Valerie. 'I'm not going to leave you all here, I have to get you somewhere you are safe.'

The children ran off to get their friends when the devil hunter said. 'How do they know my fathers name?' He mused.

'What!' Cassandra asked turning around. 'Sparda was your father!'

'Yeah…' he answered. 'Don't like to talk bout it much. Unwanted attention, you know?'

Erené walked down her path. There was nothing. Old housing stretched along the road and some people scuttled past her. Most were dirty like they worked in a mine and no one stopped to help any one else on the street. There were a few homeless bums sprawled out in the gutters as the snow seemed to cover them lightly. 'I hate winter.'

Tallia followed her path. Nothing was wrong with where she was, though she thought she was being watched some of the time she was walking out in the open. There was no one on the path, but the snow seemed some what colder. It began to get heavier as she inspected the rows of houses. The gardens were dead, though that was hardly surprising as it was winter…

'What are you doing here, my dear?' An old croaky voice said. 'You shouldn't come too close to the mines. You never know what's lurking around there.'

'Mines?' Tallia asked turning to see the old man. He was covered in a black dust that seemed to shimmer. She didn't know why but it felt like it had a power of its own. 'What's in the mines?'

He scratched his wrinkly chin and scratched his head. 'Don't you be playing games with me young one. You know as well as I what's in there.'

'No I don't.' She said. 'I'm not from here, I'm a traveler. Could you tell me please?'

He stared at her and a small tear dripped down his face. 'I wish I could remember a time that I didn't know what was in those mines. All right I'll tell you; this black dust that covers my body… this abomination of the earth… our queen makes us mine it. It keeps her alive you see.'

'What queen. Paris isn't supposed to have a queen.' Tallia said touching his shoulder and pulling back a small sample of the dust. It smelt like death and felt almost as bad. 'What is this? It's terrible.'

'I was getting to that my dear. This dust she uses to steal people's souls, then she eat's their souls for herself. Children are her favorite delight. I don't know a single mother in this part of town that has a child left…'

'That's terrible.' She gasped. 'Those poor children.'

'I'm just getting started young one.' The man said sitting in the gutter. 'She turns them to her monsters and has her own personal army. They stalk the earth looking for blood… for other humans to devour…'

Tallia paled. 'How could she do that to them.'

'By taking their humanity… She takes it and destroys it leaving only their soul and then devours it. Rumour has it she seeks other power… Three sister's or such. It's hard to keep up with her power struggles these days… Paris has become a city of darker skies now…'

Well there you go! Another chapter!

My goodness how long has it been since I actually posted something! About two months I think. Man having a life sux. N e ways i just wanted to take the time to thank one of my fav readers. Warui Usagi! You poor thing actually having to read what i wrote, so THANK YOU!

Every one else you know the drill! Review please!