by Samuel Small
When those words hit his ears Dante instinctively winced. The smack filled the air as expected but his cheek didn’t throb with a numb sensation, nor did his stomach feel like it might clench itself. His body was fine, but the boy from before wasn’t. His whole head was whipped to one side and a woman stood over him, his mother Dante assumed. Apples rolled to either side of the child, an indication that he’d been working hard to pick them all up.
“Hey lady!” Dante shouted and rose to a stand, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. The woman turned those blank eyes to him, the same ones that had been turned onto that kid. They’d make pretty much anyone else his age burst out whaling but Dante had seen them countless times by now. He glared at her with equal hatred, then opened his mouth to bellow the most callous, dreadful swear he could come up with.
“Mmmmph!”
Dante tried desperately to remove Shion’s hand from his mouth, kicking and pulling, but she held him firmly. He really wanted to lay into this old bitch, tell her how little of a deal it was that the kid spilled some fucking apples. But he couldn’t because Shion soon raised her free hand and shot a quick burst of Pure Sol onto the top of his head. He dropped to the ground, grasping at the sharp pain.
“Awwww fuuu—”
But once again Shion clamped a hand over his mouth. He glared at her, still annoyed that she wouldn’t let him get on with it, but when he stared into her dark eyes he knew she was dead serious. Her lips were flat and she shook her head sternly that he should stop. Dante got the sense that she wasn’t joking and nodded, although he still scowled when he stood up, glaring at the lady who still held the blond boy by the collar.
“Well? Do you have anything to say son?” she asked.
Dante stared at the boy once again. His blue eyes radiated in a pleading display. He was asking, no, begging Dante to say anything in his defense. To do something to help him but…
“Nothing,” Dante mumbled and walked away.
Chapter 7
The following morning, Jake crawled out of his tent scratching his bedraggled hair wearily. When he first unzipped the front his senses were assaulted by the stinging sensation of too much natural light, but his eyes quickly adjusted and he was out and stretching in a matter of seconds. He scanned the area to see if Dante and Sara had made it back okay and saw the boy on the other side of the river bank, swaying in his hammock between two trees. His whole body was slumped to one side and it looked like he might topple over at any second.
If he made it back, Jake thought, then Sara must have too. He made his way back into his tent to change into his uniform and check the time on his comp. It looked like it was about time to leave if they wanted to hit the next village by midday.
Jake went to the girl’s tent and knocked against the canvas. It didn’t give much in the way of noise as the material simply gave way when Jake’s fist made contact with it but the slight scraping sound must have been heard within the shelter as somebody mumbled “the fuck…?”
There was some shifting inside the tent and after a few seconds it unzipped, revealing Elizabeth, her hair a mess and her eyes half open. She parted the tent flaps ever so slightly to allow Jake in and when she did her usual demeanor overtook her. The eyes remained narrowed but they didn’t look ready to close. Her posture raised and she placed her hands on her hips. “What do you want?” she asked.
“The mission,” he said, “it’s time to head off.” Elizabeth nodded with her lips pursed, which to Jake made it seem like she hadn’t expected it. She was still probably worried about what they talked about last night, but Jake couldn’t be concerned about it with this current mission active… or at least that’s what he told himself. Elizabeth mumbled something to a sleeping Sara as Jake turned around to wake up their last party member.
As soon as he turned around, however, Dante rolled to the other end of the hammock, creating too much strain. It slowly tilted on one side, sending Dante sliding off it. He landed on a rock and shot up to his feet while pointing an open hand at the ground. Once he realized that it wasn’t an enemy, he let out a sigh of relief then raised his head to look at Jake. They stared at each other, sharing the awkward moment before Jake turned around and headed back to his tent, not because he needed anything but because he didn’t want Dante to blast him away.
Jake tore his tent down and packed it. At around the same time Sara and Elizabeth removed themselves from their tent and did the same. With everything packed up and ready to go, Jake exchanged a glance with Sara and Elizabeth, who both seemed apprehensive. Dante stuffed his hammock into his bag without paying attention to anyone else. Jake didn’t know why but there was some impending sense of dread that ran through his body. It was slight, so much so that he hardly noticed it but it was there nonetheless, nagging at the back of his mind. He tried his best to ignore the feeling and headed down the path, his comrades following.
***
It took several hours of walking but eventually they made it to their destination. Throughout the walk nobody uttered a word. Elizabeth’s silence Jake could understand, he had come across some very sensitive information, after all, but the talkative Dante? Sara too, she seemed to love to interact with the guy but now they walked at opposite ends of the four-person column, pretending to stare off into the forest. He supposed it didn’t matter anyway, they’d be coming upon the village any second now.
Jake and company reached the top of the hill and all stopped in awestruck shock. That feeling of dread in the back of his mind flashed up once again, making his neck feel really hot for an instant. What was left of that feeling transformed into confusion, one that Jake tried desperately to shake off.
In a twist of fate this village was located at the bottom of a steep hill, so steep that they were able to see the entire settlement. But that knowledge wasn’t comforting at all. Despite the fact that it hadn’t rained the night before, the village was obscured by fog. Jake could only barely make out the top of buildings rising out of the twisting clouds. What was especially odd was that this fog didn’t extend past the walls of the village. It was all contained within its rectangular walls and did not leak past the gate, nor did anything trail among the trees that surrounded the settlement. It was terrifying and Jake couldn’t work up the nerve to take another step.
Then there was a crack to Jake’s left, one loud enough to break him from whatever strange trance he was in. Walking past him without even looking was Dante, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his face scowling at the village beneath him. Thanks to his actions Jake felt he wasn’t alone against whatever lay within that shroud and he followed the boy down the steep incline.
Unlike last time the village gates weren’t forced open. There was no splintered wood, no blood stained its surface, and no creatures could be seen beyond it. It was, however, open. Only slightly ajar, really. Enough for Jake to convince himself it was simply an accident, but it still felt eerie either way. Tendrils of fog leaked out of the entrance as if the village was filled well past capacity. They were supposed to check in with a guard here but no one was around. He hoped that there’d be someone in the village. He equally hoped that there wouldn’t be something in there.
Dante stepped into the dense fog. Jake had to be quick about following, even though the boy was only a few feet in front of him his figure was almost completely lost within the murk after a few steps. The trainee kept a special mental note of Dante’s location and tried to keep his figure within the corner of his eye as he looked around the village.
There wasn’t anything he could make out clearly, only that there were buildings to either side of him based on their vague rectangular shapes. He also felt something strange as he looked around. His movements were sluggish and he didn’t truly want to turn his head. He got the strange feeling that he was being watched from all directions and that feeling made him hesitate. Like if he turned his head too quickly he might see what it was that stared at him, and the sight of it would drive him insane.
A paine
d grunting noise arose from somewhere in front of Jake and he realized he wasn’t just being paranoid. Dante had also slowed, lifting his legs as if there were weights strapped to them. Ahead of him Jake could see a figure clearly, despite the fact that the fog should have made it invisible. It was a few yards away from them, a pitch-black silhouette with spikes at the top of its head that looked like horns. It shifted and swayed as if Jake was seeing it through a waterfall. Before long the tall figure shrunk down to about Jake’s own height and became more humanoid. It looked like a person with their hands pressed into their pockets, staring off into the distance.
When Jake made out the figure as a boy, he came to a stark realization. He had stopped moving. Not just him, Dante in front of him stood dead in his tracks as well, his clenched fists shaking at his sides. With a casual glance behind him Jake saw that Sara and Elizabeth too had stopped, both looking at him like they were seeking confirmation that what they saw was indeed real. Jake wanted to speak but something made him hold his tongue, an instinct of danger that told him to be as quiet as possible.
A scoff sounded in front of Jake, and he turned to see Dante pressing forward and heading for the strange silhouette that stood before them. The creature turned its head at the noise, and Jake saw shining eyes within that pitch-black figure. Once the eyes rested on him Jake fell to his knees, just then coming to the realization that the creature was the source of this strange feeling. The figure took a step forward, the impact seeming to vibrate the ground despite how illogical that was. That step was enough to bring Dante to one knee, even though he grunted and tried his best to fight against it.
Weight seemed to bear down on Jake with each advance that thing made, bringing him closer to the ground. He winced and peered up at the figure. His eyes widened upon realizing that the fog was beginning to disperse. Some part of him wanted it to stay, to keep whatever the hell that thing was out of his sight but it didn’t. It faded, but not completely. It was like it was being sucked back into that thing. First it hovered just over its body and Jake could make out its leg clearly: black pants and shined black shoes. Then the torso came into view accompanied by some primal instinct of danger. A black suit, white undershirt, and red tie stuffed into the front of that well-pressed blazer. Soon the creature absorbed all of the fog, revealing its form in full. It towered over the prone Dante, staring at him apathetically through eyes that appeared human, but the irises glowed with a red hue. Their spiky hair was pure white, whiter than even Sara’s hair. It smiled at the group, revealing sharp teeth.
“So this is the best humanity has to offer?” the suited boy said, scanning each of them in turn. When his eyes rested on Jake he wanted to turn away and cower like a child.
“This is pathetic, really,” he said and glanced casually at Dante, who pushed against the ground with all of his might in order to stand. It was a shaky effort, his arms coming up no more than a centimeter a second, but it was undeniable that he was making progress. Whatever this boy was, he seemed to be interested in Dante’s struggle against his presence and took a step back to give him some room. Soon Dante was able to get his feet underneath him and slowly rose to a stand. The suited boy let out a laugh that must have made Dante even madder. His fists were clenched so tightly at his sides that his knuckles were white. He slowly rose to a full stand, taking a step back to prevent himself from falling over.
“What the fuck are you?” he hissed.
The boy did not respond, at least not orally. Rather, his sharp-toothed grin flashed even wider. It was so wide that the boy looked barely human, his lips stretched out nearly to his ears. That demonic grin set Dante off, who let out a roar before charging at it with a fist raised. Jake wasn’t sure what happened next, Dante went right through the creature but it didn’t move out of the way at all. At first he thought it was a mistake, but as Dante turned around with his green eyes blazing, Jake knew that couldn’t possibly be the case. He glared at the thing too intensely and he was far too skilled a fighter to simply miss outright like that. Once again Dante lunged for the thing and this time Jake was sure of it: he was passing right through it.
The boy’s body lost its color for a second before Dante tore out of it, grasping at bits of black smoke that he seemed to take with him. He stared at the darkness as it faded then fell to one knee while gasping for breath. For whatever reason going through that thing seemed to have some kind of inverse effect on him. Jake was pinned to the ground just by its presence, so he could only imagine what it was like to have an actual hands-on encounter with it.
Kneeling before Jake, Dante didn’t look at him. Rather he focused on the blue energy that gathered in his open palm. It was slow, very slow, likely on account the suited boy’s presence. But he gathered enough after a few agonizing seconds and soon a ball about the size of his head floated above his palm. Dante closed his eyes and inhaled sharply, then whipped his entire body around and hurled the glowing orb at the boy.
He tilted his head slightly to avoid the incoming blast then followed its path as it soared across the village, taking a corner off a house in the distance. His mouth lay flat as he looked at the spot but the grin once again returned. The boy flashed them all a demonic smile as fog leaked out of him in shifting clouds.
“Well, it took him long enough. Honestly, I thought I could lead him here and be gone before you humans arrived, but he’s just too lethargic. What did you call them again? Voids, was it? Well, may I introduce you to the Void King!”
The fog increased to such an intensity that Jake couldn’t even see his hands in front of his eyes. Whatever weight was upon him seemed to be lifted and he rose to his feet, glaring at the empty space in front of him where he heard steady crunches through the grass. The intense fog dwindled, dispersing to their left and right. First Jake saw Dante’s back, firm and unmoving as the noise grew ever closer. It sounded like a milling crowd if nobody in it spoke. Just the sounds of footsteps as people shifted unevenly. As the fog parted further Jake glanced behind him to where Elizabeth stood with her blade already drawn, Sara at her side opening and closing her palms in readiness. Jake had to agree, he too felt a deadly presence so he reached behind his back and pulled out his sword. A bloated foot cut out against the fog, pure white. The rest of the creature came into view in degrees: legs, torso, the skin hanging loosely as if it didn’t quite fit. Jake clenched his sword tighter, ready to attack, when the fog reached the Void’s shoulders. There was blond hair reaching down. But none of the other Voids had hair.
And I’m tellin’ you: Long. Ass. Hair.
Jake heard Dante’s words echo in his head as the Void came into full view, staring at the group with those massive blank eyes. Behind it the fog cleared, revealing an army of its kin festering. Jake took a step back. The sheer number of Voids lined the street shoulder to shoulder, packing the entire space like sardines. Or sharks.
“William?”
That led Jake to lower his sword and glance at the speaker. Dante’s posture had relaxed, his arms now held limply at his sides. He stared, mouth agape, at the blond Void – the one that boy referred to as the Void King.
The creature’s round head tilted toward Dante in some form of acknowledgment before it took an uneven step forward. It sounded loud and unnatural against the grass, crunching into it like paper. Its body lurched from one side to the other with each advance. It was closing in on him, heading straight for the orange-haired boy, but Dante didn’t do anything to defend himself whatsoever. He only stood there in shock, his arms trembling at his sides. Jake had to do something or that thing would kill him as soon as it—
Icicles ricocheted off the creature, which continued forward as if nothing had occurred. Knowing Sara had his back, Jake didn’t feel afraid anymore and charged at the Void King with his sword raised. It stopped walking toward Dante and glanced at him, its mouth agape and concealing any emotion it might have felt before Jake swung down at it. His sword hit but Jake didn’t feel it cut, and the creature simply hit the floor headfi
rst. He panted with his blade raised, ready to watch the thing disappear into the mist like all the others, but it didn’t. It brought a bloated hand to the ground and rose to its feet. It faced Dante, staring back with that same lifeless gaze. But it also seemed mesmerizing, like Jake could see the truth of the universe if he just stared into those glassy eyes for long enough. Before he even realized it Jake had lowered his sword.
Something wet wrapped around his wrist and he screamed. One of the Voids had attacked, wrapping its elongated, snake-like arm around him. It began to pull him toward the army of Voids behind it, each cracking, popping, and shifting as they formed weapons to mutilate him with. Jake tried to fight the creature’s pull but he couldn’t do anything. The best resistance he could put up still left him digging furrows in the dirt at his feet as he was pulled helplessly along.
Then loud stomps echoed from behind him and the grip on his arms was gone. In front of him the creature’s severed arm wiggled on the ground, courtesy of Elizabeth’s rapier. She glanced at the boy over her shoulder, her face serious. “I need you to stay aware of your surroundings. I can’t defeat all of these things alone.”
Jake nodded and raised his blade, glancing back at the Void King. It was upon Dante now but it didn’t attack, only staring at the boy who stared back. Behind both of them, Sara stared at the scene in shock.
“Sara!” he called. “That one seems docile, but these ones aren’t. Elizabeth and I need your help!” He jerked his head to the shocked orange-haired boy. “You too, Dante!”
But Dante only tilted his head to him, his eyes appearing as empty as the creature. He stared like that for a few seconds then returned his gaze back to the thing. Jake didn’t get it but that didn’t matter, he could hear innumerable dragging footsteps closing in on him. As he turned toward the army before him, ice whizzed past his head and took out a few of the Voids that had gotten dangerously close. At least Sara was back in this battle; he could deal with Dante later. Jake closed the distance, cleaving one of the Voids in two. As its body dissipated he tore into another at its side then swept his sword in a large arc that eliminated countless more around him. With a few seconds free Jake glanced back at Dante to make sure he was okay.
