Sol Boxset

by Samuel Small

  “Listen, I’m telling you not to kill those creatures. It’ll lead to the end of this world.”

  “Yeah, well I don’t see why I should hafta’ listen to you, since you’re in trouble and all. Hell, why would I ever follow advice from a guy who chokeslammed me across two countries?!”

  The demon recoiled as if offended by Dante’s criticisms, then turned to Jake, obviously viewing him as the more rational of the two.

  “Listen, I was wrong to do what I did, it was a huge taboo and it’s only made things worse.” The demon bowed his head toward Jake, grimacing as if the action physically hurt him. Jake almost felt bad for him. Almost. He again opened his mouth to respond, this time unsure of what words would leave his lips until—

  “Imma kill ’em.”

  “I’m telling you, you can’t. Doing that will make things infinitely worse for you and your world.”

  “I was gonna kill ’em anyway. The fact that you’re telling me not to only makes me want to do it more.”

  It was like a group of underachieving grade-schoolers arguing in the playground, and Jake could take no more of it. “Listen, uh, demon. What exactly are the consequences of defeating this thing?”

  The demon opened his mouth, revealing his sharp and pointed teeth, but then caught himself. His eyes shifted to the side and it looked like his mind wandered. Finally, he slumped his shoulders and said. “I’m not allowed to tell you that. Listen—”

  Dante couldn’t resist the urge to ridicule the demon further and leaned his head forward. “Ooooooooooooooh! Can someone not tell us his wittle seecwet or he might get in trooooouuuuble?” The demon lunged at him, but Dante only shot his hands into the air and danced around the astral being like some sort of a mocking monkey, hopping from one foot to the other while flicking his tongue in and out. Utterly baffled, Jake couldn’t offer much in the way of critical thought, although something in what the demon said bothered him. He didn’t want Jake and Dante to defeat the Malice but…

  “Wait a minute, that makes no sense,” Jake mumbled. Dante stopped mid-dance and looked at him, although his hands were still held well above his head and one leg remained up. The demon had also stopped his furious scowling at the boy and looked at Jake.

  “You want to eradicate humanity, you said it yourself, but now there’s a threat to humanity and you want us to do nothing about it. I know you think humans are inferior to demons and all, but you can’t believe we’re that stupid.” The demon’s eyes widened at the accusation, but before he could respond Dante began to taunt him yet again.

  “Yeeeeaaaah! Last time there was some unnatural bullshit it was all you. I bet you’re behind this assmonster thing too.”

  The demon squinted and turned to Jake, likely to get some clarification as to what ‘assmonster’ meant, but Jake only shrugged. Given the context, he’d ought to be able to figure it out for himself. He must have as he turned back to Dante and waved his hands before him protectively.

  “No, no, the Malevolent Will wasn’t me, and it wasn’t any of us for that matter. To revive such evil… I can’t believe anybody, not even a foolish human, would want to do that.”

  Jake felt an urge to shout at him – of course it was him. He really did think Jake was stupid enough to believe him, but when he leaned in to do so he noticed something odd. Usually he wasn’t the one who made the violent outbursts, it was always Dante, but when he looked at the boy he was apparently in deep thought, his knuckle resting against his chin as he looked at the ground in concentration.

  “Right,” he mumbled, “you did mention some cryptic shit like that before, didn’t you…” The demon looked at him, almost hopeful that he’d finally be believed, but then Dante’s tensed features broke into one that reveled in torment. “Yeah, I’d believe you if only you’d tell me what the fuck that shit actually was.”

  The demon turned his head and scoffed. “This is going nowhere. It sucks that the only person that might be able to understand the situation is such an idiot,” the demon said, then began to gently fade away. Dante called out to the figure just as it disappeared, shaking his fist.

  “Yeah, well maybe I’d understand if a certain asshole actually explained himself instead of saying they can’t tell me cos they’re afraid of gettin’ spanked!”

  It was a fruitless effort as the figure was long gone by the time Dante wrapped up his angry rant. His posture slumped, almost as if he was sad to see the demon go. Exasperated by the events, Jake sighed.

  “Seriously, I don’t get it. He wants to destroy the world and thinks we’re just gonna sit idly by and watch it happen.”

  Dante stared at the space where the demon had been as the snow continued to gather and lay thick deposits on his head and shoulders. There was a strong breeze, one that made Jake wince from the biting cold, but the boy continued to stare as if he hadn’t noticed it all. Then he turned to Jake.

  “Actually, that isn’t it. You weren’t there for it, but he told me once that he did want to protect the world. Animals, trees, hippy shit like that.” Dante slumped again and jammed his hands into his pockets. “I guess he only hates humans, that’s why he made the Voids. If you noticed, they weren’t actually a threat to anything or anyone other than us. It’s not like we saw any deer carcasses or anything when we went from village to village.” He continued to stare outward into empty space, his features tense and serious.

  “Don’t tell me,” Jake said, his voice hesitant at first, “you actually want to do what he says?”

  That brought Dante back to reality. He jerked toward Jake and uttered a bellowing, “fuck no!” He sneered, as if the very suggestion was a gross insult to his humanity. “He said himself that human beings aren’t his priority, so he couldn’t give a crap whether or not the shitmonsters kill us. They’re probably gonna fuck up a forest somewhere and that’s why the hippy is so concerned. Anyway, even if there were some kind of consequence to us killing them – and that’s a big if – there’s no sense in dwelling on it. Those things are gonna kill us if we don’t kill them, and that’s all there is to it. If that leads to some other bad shit then we gotta deal with that too. No biggie.”

  His manner of thinking was so simplistic, yet given the situation it worked well enough. There was no arguing with his logic.

  “Anyway, I was actually lookin’ for the big shit. You can tag along if you want.”

  “Er, I…” Was it too dangerous to tell Dante about the rebellion? Knowing him, he’d jump at the chance to cause havoc and harass the country. Jake was one to talk, though – he had idly sat by while their leader ran away. He sighed and figured Dante couldn’t do much more harm. “Actually, I’m going to be busy. I’m on my way to the Republic now. The rebellion is happening in a few days.”

  “Rebellion? What? Where?”

  He can’t be serious. “The rebellion at the Republic? There was a whole faction of them when you came in.” Dante only looked on with his eyebrows furrowed. Nothing Jake said was hitting home. “Elizabeth was arrested for being one, for God’s sake!”

  “Ooooooh is that what it was about?” he said, folding his hands behind his head. “I just assumed you hit on her and she got pissed off.”

  Jake was fuming. As soon as the demon left Dante was right on his case. It was like the guy couldn’t live without causing an argument.

  “Relax, relax, I saw the way you were lookin’ at her – nothing to get…” he trailed off and his face tensed. Again, his brain was struggling with the foreign command known as ‘thought.’ He continued to stare as the snow fell and Jake longed for the conversation to carry out inside the warmth of their room for the night. At last he continued. “The rebellion, as in the struggle against that Führer guy…?”

  “Yes, that’s the one. They’re rebelling against the Republic and he’s the leader of the country.”

  “Make her stop.” The boy looked straight at Jake, all of his playful mannerisms gone.

  “Well obviously I want her to stop, but I don’t th
ink I can—”

  “You don’t understand. She doesn’t stand a chance against the Führer. A whole army doesn’t stand a chance against him.”

  “What—”

  “If that girl goes up against him she’ll be killed on the spot.”

  “Dante, Führer Bellator is tough, but he isn’t without mercy. Why…” Think about all the crap he let you get away with. “I mean, think about how professional he carries himself.”

  Dante scoffed and looked at the ground. “Listen, I don’t expect you to understand this because you didn’t go up against him, but the guy has an aura of power about him.” Dante looked at his hand longingly, then clenched it, melting any snowflakes that were within his grasp in an instant. “I got the sense that he could have killed me, no, anyone in that room at any time if he felt like it. In terms of threat level that guy’s top of the food chain. Hell, even higher than that demon – he’s a real apex predator.”

  Führer Bellator, stronger than the demon that annihilated two whole countries? Jake couldn’t believe it. He almost looked down and shook his head, but Dante’s eyes met his and he felt the boy’s conviction pour into him. He was certain what he was saying was true.

  “You’ve gotta get her to stop,” he repeated.

  Still, Jake couldn’t deny that Dante had incredibly good instincts. He had figured out Elizabeth’s identity entirely on intuition, after all. He decided to trust Dante on this one.

  “Right, I’ll do what I can. I should get there a few days before the rebellion so I’ll have a talk with… with one of their heads.”

  Dante nodded and began to walk back to the center of the village. Jake was grateful, as he hated the cold and it was now dark, making it all the worse. “All right, well you do that. I’m gonna see if I can find that thing and then I’m gonna kill it,” Dante said as the two boys made large steps to overcome the now accumulated snow. Behind him, Jake could only see his back, but he saw it as firm and powerful. The thought of telling Dante not to go, that it was too dangerous a thing to do, didn’t even cross his mind.

  “Still, I can’t believe you’d want to stay out of the rebellion,” Jake called over a sudden gust of wind, “sounds like it would be right up your alley and the perfect opportunity for you to get whatever information it is you want.”

  Dante’s head turned toward him as he continued forward. “What the fuck’s wrong with you? Is your shitty government so bad that your little nationalist ass actually wants me to overthrow it?”

  Jake shook his head and chuckled, “No, of course not.” The hard fact was that Dante always seemed to be there to help him out whenever he was in a bind, such as during the Void incident when he couldn’t get in contact with Sara, and when that pink aura appeared in the sky. He was always there, charging head on into trouble. He might not have always been successful, but he always gave it his best shot.

  Only, if he was there they wouldn’t be on the same side.

  What would Dante do if he were in Jake’s situation? If he had good friends opposing his goal? It wasn’t exactly a problem his typical method of brute force would solve. As the wind picked up again, Jake stopped. Horizontal snow assaulted him from behind, but he was indifferent to it now, more focused on the question plaguing his mind. Dante stopped, sensing the lingering question on Jake’s lips and looked over his shoulder at the boy.

  What would you do if you suddenly found out I worked with the mercenary group you’re after? He almost blurted it out, but some kind of primitive instinct told him not to. Dante continued to stare, and Jake thought for a moment that he would wait all night if he had to. Only he wouldn’t have to, Jake was going to pull a Danteism and trust his instincts this time. It was a stupid question anyway: Dante would probably just punch everyone.

  He took a step forward, and Dante nodded and walked beside him toward the inn. Once inside, Jake immediately rushed over to the fireplace. He sat with his hands in front of the warmth, happy to feel the snow on his clothes and hair melt into a steaming puddle. He shivered in delight, a goofy grin on his face. From behind there were soft footsteps squeaking against the wooden floor, those of Dante just then catching up with him. They stopped a few feet behind him. Jake guessed that he was standing behind him, staring at Jake’s odd behavior. Dante held a monopoly on weird up until then, so it was odd for him to be doing it now. He turned over his shoulder to glance at Dante.

  There he was, hanging the big poncho-like cloak he was wearing onto a rack just inside the doorway. Underneath, he wore the same green jacket as always. Guess he doesn’t take it off even in the winter. I wonder what he does in the summer. Jake almost shrugged and turned back toward the fire, but caught Dante’s eye. He jerked his head backward to where the innkeeper stood, maintaining a quivering smile despite his furrowed brow. Jake looked at Dante’s coat, now dripping from the melted snow but at least in one place, then back to his feet where a puddle lay.

  When it dawned on him Jake jumped up, almost slipped on his own puddle, then turned toward the tavern owner and lowered his head, apologizing profusely. The innkeeper said it was no big deal since he was friend of the hero who saved the village, even though he still looked very much annoyed. Dante laughed uproariously.

  When Dante was done telling jokes at Jake’s expense, the innkeeper informed them that their rooms were upstairs and Jake happily went up without a moment’s notice. Over the past week the very best bed he got was on a bale of spikey hay, and at the time he thought that dainty bed was a gift from the gods. To think he was now getting a real bed… and courtesy of Dante of all people!

  When Jake got to the room he tore the door open and leaped into the air, landing on the plush bed. It wiggled and swayed from the sudden impact, but soon settled. Jake placed his arm over his eyes, sighed, and got ready to sleep.

  Chapter 10

  The following morning, Jake awoke to the sun warming his face. He peered out of the window and yawned. This was the perfect way to start the day. He’d rest in bed a bit more then head to the Republic after a hearty breakfast.

  From below an explosion erupted, followed by swearing, but not of Dante’s usual habit. This sounded angry, livid even. Almost on instinct, Jake grabbed his sword and secured it behind his back, then rushed down to the bottom of the staircase. Before he even reached the lower floor he knew something was off: he smelled burning, and at the bottom of the steps little streams of smoke snaked across the ground.

  Dante pressed the shopkeeper against a wall, his forearm on the man’s throat. The entire room was littered with detritus and pieces of furniture, the innkeeper’s desk having been completely obliterated. Jake rushed to Dante and shook him by the shoulder, begging for him to stop, but the boy didn’t seem to notice him at all. He just continued to stare daggers into the man and pressed harder against his throat.

  “What the fuck do you mean you know them?”

  Jake gripped him firmly, and this time Dante turned. He took the hint, and begrudgingly let go of the man who fell to his knees and began hacking up a storm. Jake felt sympathy for the innkeeper, but one look at Dante suggested that he didn’t feel the same sentiment. Rather, he raised his palm and began condensing energy into it.

  “Spill it – everything you know.”

  He talked, despite the fact that his body willed him to cough more. “A man from a few towns over said they helped him clear out those monsters,” he said with a raspy voice, “they didn’t accept any payment though, only asked that they kept their presence a secret.”

  Dante turned away from the man and mumbled to himself. “Killing those things…” The innkeeper looked up at him, pleading, and Dante allowed the swirling orb in his hand to dissipate. “That’s it then?”

  The man nodded as he clutched at his throat. Dante turned and walked past Jake, heading for the entrance. Jake began to make his way to help the injured man, but Dante called to him. “I’d get out of here as I soon as I can if I were you. Once he tells ’em the townspeople aren’t gonna be too happ
y.” Jake knew he was right. He set off for the doorway, grabbing his coat from the rack.

  As the two walked out of the village Jake called to Dante. “What the hell was that about?”

  “The guy had information on those mercenaries that he was witholdin’ from me. I asked about them yesterday, but nobody said nothing.”

  “He gives you room and board and you thank him by hurting him?”

  “I save his entire town and he thanks me by keeping useful info from me?”

  Jake stopped as the boy continued to walk away from him. He clenched his fists and glared at Dante, but he couldn’t offer anything in the way of a retort. The way he was now, nothing would convince him to stop. Jake had never considered him particularly dangerous before, just a bit of an idiot, but this morning’s events helped him see the boy in a new light. He picked up his pace so he could catch up.

  “So what are you gonna do? Keep on searching for these guys or go after the big one? You can’t do both.”

  Dante stopped for a moment and clenched his fists. Behind him, Jake heard a few doors open slowly as if people were apprehensive. The villagers must just now be getting up to investigate the commotion. They had to hurry up and leave, but that wasn’t possible with Dante just standing there. Surely there were a few Sol users in this village, was Dante planning on taking them all on? Just before Jake was ready to pick up the pace and leave the boy behind he turned, his face solemn.

  “If they’re going after those monsters, then it stands to reason that they’ll be after the big one too. With any luck I’ll find them both at the same time.”

  Jake nodded and said it was a good idea, then picked up his pace and strode out of the village. He wasn’t going to tell Dante that was impossible, since the Lightning Gang was going to be in the Republic, but that made things work in his favor. No Dante and no monsters to distract him from what he needed to do.