by Samuel Small
“What’s in it?” Sara said, pushing into Dante’s jaw and twisting his head.
“Nothing,” he mumbled. Sure there were things in the bag, but nothing essential. Just his hammock and a few comic books. Elizabeth walked beside Jake and peered into the nearly empty bag. She jerked her head quickly to the grounded boy. “Do you honestly only own one change of clothes?”
He drew back at the accusation and that was all Sara needed to hear. “Ew!” she shouted, then kicked him and knocked him onto his back. She then sprung up and gathered Sol into her hand. “You’re so fucking gross!”
“I wash it almost every night!” he said.
“Almost?”
“I knew your wardrobe was limited, but I thought it was because you liked black shirts and jeans. I would never have imagined…” Jake said.
“Yeah, well I don’t have a big fancy government to give me free underwear and shit!” he shouted back, and Jake thought he almost saw tears in his eyes.
“Maybe you’d be able to buy some if you had a j-o-b.”
“Ah, what the hell do you know?!” Dante said, throwing his arms into the air and walking away. The rest of the way through the marsh they tormented him, and he yelled back and called them assholes as a retort. It was the most pleasant part of the trip, Jake dared to say.
That night they stayed in a hotel, courtesy of the gold coins the group received before leaving for this quest. It was nice to have a budget for once, and Jake recalled almost sleeping in a broken-down barn on one of his other escapades. He threw the coins onto the counter and asked for two rooms. The shopkeeper nodded, and handed him two keys.
“There’s a hot spring out back. Girl’s bathing time’s in a few minutes, the boy’s an hour after that.” Jake nodded, handed one of the keys to Elizabeth, and then had Dante follow him. Their rooms were situated across from each other and after wishing the two girls goodnight, Jake and Dante went into their lodgings.
Jake jumped into the air and landed on his nice firm bed. It was the first time in the trip that he’d been able to sleep in one, as the last few nights he was forced to stay in a tent on his own. The bed jiggled and felt oh so soft against his cheek. He closed his eyes, ready for sleep to overtake him, but he felt eyes on the back of his head. Sure enough, when he looked behind him he saw Dante eyeing him wryly.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of doing something creepy with the girls and plan on dragging me into it,” Jake said.
“I’m hardly interested in them. You on the other hand…” he said, leaning in and offering a cheeky grin. Jake sat up and threw his pillow at the boy, which hit him dead in the face and caused him to spiral toward the door. He grabbed the handle, then looked over his shoulder to Jake. “By the way, you’re getting the bed wet.”
“Well, whose fault is that!” Jake yelled as Dante left the room, who gave him a middle finger just before the door slammed shut. Jake glared at it then looked down. It was true that his clothes had dried a bit during the trip, but they were still very much damp and had soaked into the fabric beneath him. He brought his lips in and frowned, then looked over to the clean, neat bed that would be Dante’s by default. Perhaps he could ask to switch, hell, he’d never seen Dante sleep in a bed at all. Even when they stayed in hotels during their trip to the Purist’s Village he always opted to sleep on the floor.
Still, unable to ignore the reality that his clothes were wet, and that the clothes in his bag were even wetter, Jake took off his uniform’s blazer and undershirt, threw them onto the bed frame, then he slid off the bed and unbuckled his pants just as his eyes locked onto the door. Dante’s loud voice conversed with two softer ones on the other side. It was certainly a very Dante move to fling the door wide open without knocking, exposing Jake to Elizabeth and Sara, which would likely get them both killed. A cold sweat ran down the back of his neck at the thought, and he waddled to the door and locked it tight, then placed his pants on the bed frame to dry.
Acknowledging that the locked door would hardly be enough to keep Dante out if he really wanted to get in, Jake opted for an additional layer of defense, wrapping a white towel around his waist and tucking it so that it held firmly. He nodded, satisfied with his attire, then went to his bag to hang those wet clothes out as well.
***
“Elizabeth, it says here our bath times are coming up – would you like to come with me?”
“Yes, that sounds nice. Just let me grab some towels.”
Sara remained with her hand on the door and watched as Elizabeth slid out of her boots. She refused to switch into the Republic’s guard uniform on the trip, instead opting to wear the royal uniform of the previous age that she’d worn during the rebellion. For Sara’s part, she had on a short dress with a snowflake design, her bag packed with similar semi-casual outfits.
Elizabeth threw her boots to the floor and wiggled her toes, obviously happy for the air. Sara giggled at the sight. Elizabeth looked up, a bit confused by Sara’s laughter. “What is it?”
“Oh nothing it’s just… you always seem to carry yourself so proper, but once you get out of the public eye it all falls apart, doesn’t it?”
Elizabeth’s face burned red, and she jumped off the bed, grabbing the two towels. “Whatever you say. Shall we get going?”
Sara turned the handle, hearing the door opposite hers open, Jake shout, then it slamming shut. She sighed and walked out of the room. In the hallway was Dante, looking over his shoulder at the door as if it might attack him. “Since when did he get so snarky?” he mumbled to no one in particular. He raised his head away from the door, took in Sara and Elizabeth, and his eyes widened. They dropped to the towels held by Elizabeth and he nodded.
“Off to take a bath, eh?” He pinched his nose and fanned it with his other hand. “You could sure use it.”
“Says the boy who only wears one outfit,” Elizabeth retorted, stepping forward to Sara’s side.
“Already explained that – ah, whatever, who cares what you think anyway,” he said, throwing his hands up. He stomped off toward the stairs. “Enjoy your bath.”
“You better not be planning anything creepy,” Elizabeth said, her face filled with disgust. At the mere accusation, Dante pivoted and strode back to her without losing momentum. He came within inches of her face and waved his finger in front of it. “As if I’d ever be interested in you!”
“And Sara?” Sara felt a twinge in her chest at the suggestion, and tried to avoid eye contact, although Dante never attempted to make it. Instead he turned his head away and scoffed.
“Not her either. I’ll have you know I prefer girls with hair on the darker side of the spectrum. You two bright lights can’t meet my exacting standards,” he said, then turned around and walked away. His words ticked Sara off, and she sent a few shards of ice into his behind as he walked away. He jumped and yelped in pain, then quickened his pace while swearing under his breath.
Elizabeth turned away from the boy and began down the hallway. “The utter buffoon,” she said. Sara joined her and dipped her head down, muttering, “You got that right.”
Elizabeth must have heard a slight sound of disappointment in her voice, which definitely wasn’t there, as she asked, “Don’t tell me you’re disappointed that that idiot isn’t attracted to you?”
“Of course not, it’s a blessing if anything.”
“Good, and I don’t believe it I’ll have you know. Guys like him have no standards. They’re attracted to anything with legs that can consent. Otherwise they’d never be able to reproduce,” she said, quickening her stride and glaring ahead. Sara chuckled, and matched her powerwalk step for step.
“I mean it, he’s good for nothing. The only benefit he has is his strength, but that’s only assuming he knows which side to attack.”
“I know he can be a little crude, but he’s actually a pretty good person. I wish you’d try to get along with him better.” Sara slowed and then stopped. Up ahead, Elizabeth looked back at Sara, who was clutching
her chest. “Back during everything in Niflheim… when the entire Republic abandoned me, Dante set off to gather an army of troops. And even once he arrived, despite the fact that he barely knew me or the people of my country, he fought in earnest and tried his best.”
Elizabeth’s mouth turned upward in a defeated smirk, and she lowered her head. “My apologies for the tragedy at Niflheim, that must have been difficult for you.”
“No, you had nothing to do with it,” Sara said, wiping a tear from her eye. She tensed her muscles, angry at the thought of who was really responsible. “It was the Republic who caused it all. Had they not abandoned our alliance, who knows what would have happened? Why, Bellator alone could have defeated that, that—”
“That demon. The one from the abandoned town.”
Sara’s eyes widened at the statement. She wasn’t sure how Elizabeth could have known about it, as the Republic government would have tried their best to keep the truth a secret. Before she could ask, Elizabeth answered for her. “During the preparations for the rebellion, Major Miles gave me a report. It truly was an unpredictable turn of events.”
“Unpredictable, but not unavoidable. That’s why I’m here today. I want to ensure that no other nation has to suffer the same fate as Niflheim.”
“A noble goal indeed,” Elizabeth said, an earnest smiling lighting up her features. She motioned with her head down the hallway. “Shall we?”
Sara smiled and followed the girl down to the bathhouse. After dealing with that crummy marshland, she’d be happy to feel some clean hot water for once.
***
Finding a wooded area behind the hotel, Dante hammered the first of his stakes into a nearby tree. Now that winter was finally over, he’d be able to enjoy sleeping outside once again, something that he was more than grateful for. He always hated being cooped up inside at night. He finished laying the final pole, then hung up the hammock. Once the task was complete, he turned around to survey the forest behind him. Now was the perfect time to get some practice in.
Dante lifted his palms up and gathered particles of hot energy into them, allowing it to condense and become more and more potent. It was something that he was getting better at, and he liked the way it lit the dark area he was in with pulsing flashes of blue light, making him the center of attention. He smirked as the balls became about the size of his head and pulled his arms back, ready to launch the energy.
He slammed his arms together and a bright blue beam rushed out. Grimacing, Dante swept both arms to the side. It took a big, exaggerated motion, and a lot of concentration, but he had practiced for a while and was now able to bend the beam about 90 degrees. Still, his mind flashed to the demonic king, his nails sharp, his teeth even sharper, and his eyes listless and empty. With a flick of just one clawed hand the demon was able to turn that blast a full 180 degrees. That was what Dante had to compete with. He gritted his teeth and prepared to unleash another attack.
After a few long, exhausting shots, Dante became aware that his vision was hazy, and not due to his own exhaustion or the sweat running into his eyes. No, there was a swirling, suffocating fog that crept its way from the depths of the forest toward him. He tried to ignore it, but the fog gathered into a focal point, then stretched out. The haze sprouted arms and legs, then solidified. In no time the suited figure of a demonic boy stood before Dante, his face creased into a frown.
“What the fuck do you want?” Dante said without turning his head. He pulled his arms back and readied to launch another blast.
“You know why I’m here by now, don’t you? You didn’t obey my commands in regards to the last one—”
“—and nothing happened!” Dante yelled, and let his arms come forward. The hot energy escaped his palms and rushed down the forest, rustling the leaves on the trees. Again, he shifted his hands and bent the beam, but it did little to improve the angle.
“Fuck!” he shouted as he witnessed his failure, throwing his hands into the air in disgust. The demon before Dante looked at him like he was insane, and that only pissed the orange-haired boy off more, but upon seeing his face an idea popped into his head.
“Hey, while you’re here why don’t you be useful? Tell me what I’m doing wrong.”
The demon shook his head. “Our job is to watch and observe the human world, not intervene directly.”
Dante knew that was bullshit, and almost brought up the fact that the very same fucker before him personally took out two countries, but then he thought back to some of the cryptic shit he told him before. He mentioned that he got punished for what he did and that it was in violation of whatever rules were placed on him, even though he didn’t think it at the time. Still, if he could do that and get a slap on the wrist, why not help Dante? He asked the demon again, but the suited boy only crossed his arms.
“As if. Even if I was allowed to help – which I’m not – and even if I wanted to – which I don’t – you’d just use it to kill more of those creatures, which is the exact opposite of what I want to happen.”
Dante looked at his palms to see if they’d received any burns, since the energy he just fired off was pretty dense. He wasn’t paying too much attention to the demon, since he had heard this whole spiel before, but he figured he should at least give him some acknowledgement. “Didn’t you say that it was your fault they were around in the first place? If that’s the way it is, shouldn’t you be helpin’ me?”
“It isn’t that simple. Humanity, no, the planet is in a bad situation without a solution. Ideally, I’d go back in time and not do what I did, but that’s impossible. Right now you lot just need to do some damage control, and that damage control involves leaving those remnants alone.”
Dante lowered his hands and sighed. “Sounds like bullshit to me. Those things are going around killing people, seeking out the most populated areas they can find. I can’t really ignore ’em.”
The demon walked toward Dante, telling him more of the ‘stop doing this bullshit,’ but he extended a hand out and fired a blast of energy at the creature’s feet. He took a step back and stared wide-eyed at the smoke rising out of the hole in the ground. It seemed Dante’s suspicions were correct.
“Listen, you’ve been to see me a fuck-ton these past few months and it’s accomplished absolutely jack shit. I don’t really care whether you visit me or not when I’m alone, but right now you should steer clear of me, at least for as long as I’m travelin’ with other people.” The demon raised his gaze from the smoking hole and looked up at Dante, confused. He understood why so he elaborated.
“Sara won’t be happy if she sees you. I doubt she can do shit to you, but she can do shit me that’ll piss me off and make me do shit to you, capiche?”
“Hardly, you can’t do any—”
Dante fired another blast of energy, ensuring that it exploded into the ground just at the demon boy’s feet. As expected, he took a step back to avoid it then looked up, eyes blazing. “You gave it away back in that village,” Dante said. “You didn’t try to dodge when I punched at you, but when I fired some of my Sol you moved, even if it was just a tilt of the head. After I saw that, I figured I could hurt your astral ass, although I don’t know exactly how it works.” He winked at the creature who scowled and started to dissipate into a mist of rolling fog.
“If that’s the way you want it then very well. With any luck, those monsters will take you out and I’ll have nothing to worry about.” Dante spat at the figured as it faded away, though the glob of phlegm just passed through the fog that was once the demon. He scoffed as the mist rolled back through the forest and out of sight, then focused on the trees in front of him. Like I need that asshole’s help anyway, he thought, as he prepared to unleash another violent burst of energy.
About an hour passed with Dante firing blast after blast, making zero progress on the bend of his beam throughout the entire session. When his body refused to create any more energy no matter how much he willed it, he collapsed onto the cool ground, sweat dripping f
rom his forehead as he jerked forward and down. He panted on the grass in the moonlight, happy to be exhausted. Once he felt he had the strength to stand up, he’d just head for his hammock and fall asleep.
Or at least that was what he thought until he heard the rustling of bushes up ahead. He scowled at the moving brush, angry that anything would interrupt his post-workout ritual. Out of the shaking vegetation emerged a girl with silver hair, wearing loose fitting clothing that must have been her nightwear. When she came into view he sighed and sat up. “The fuck do you want?”
Sara ran a hand through her long hair, pulling out a few leaves and stray pieces of brush. When she was satisfied it was clean, she pushed it back with a firm flick of her wrist and stood in an commanding position, her hands on her hips. Before she even opened her mouth Dante grimaced, as her posture already indicating what direction the conversation was going to take.
“I just got out of a nice clean bath and I have to go trekking through the dirty woods just to find you.”
“Yeah, well nobody put a gun to your head and made you go looking for me,” he said while rising to a stand. Now that he was level with her, he could see that her skin was smooth and unblemished. The girl definitely did just get some serious cleaning done. She must’ve been happy to have some big fancy bath, but then girls were like that. Only that wasn’t what she thought he was thinking. She must’ve thought he was checking her out or something, because she narrowed her eyes, then jerked her head to the side, scoffing.
“Somebody might as well have, and I’ll have you know that very person is in this forest. Yes, someone who only has one outfit, trains and gets all sweaty on a nightly basis, and wasn’t planning on taking a bath.”
She may have been a nag, but the way she nailed him to a ‘t’ was fucking ominous. He took a step back, in awe of her weird awareness of his little habits. When she saw him do so, her lips curled into a thin smirk, and Dante knew he had fucked up. She strode toward him with her fists clenched, then grabbed him by the collar and pulled. “You’re taking a bath.”