31.
Shades of the Fall
He stepped over his fallen sword and quickly walked the several steps over to her. “It really is you!” Dante exclaimed as he held her face between his hands. He wiped the tears from her wide eyes. An excitement took hold of him when he realized he could gaze into them without being compelled to look away. “Reyna.”
She stood frozen, staring into Dante’s excited face. She placed her own hands on top of his and the warmth of seeing a familiar face spread through her. “Dante,” she softly repeated his name.
“He smells like him,” Erian coolly spoke from behind Reyna. He placed his weapon away having decided there was no threat.
“Yeah,” Cerus agreed. “He must carry his blood. A descendant from the Matsumi Clan.”
A fierce snarl ripped through the air. Mundus tore Dante’s hands away from Reyna’s face. “Do not touch her,” he growled.
Dante’s eyes narrowed into green slits. “Mundus,” he spat. Suddenly, the huge sword that was buried under powdered debris shot out from its tomb. It landed, hilt first, in Dante’s waiting palm. “I know all about you now.”
At this Mundus grinned. “Berserker.”
Dante turned to the demon with nothing but anger.
Reyna sighed and pushed the two feuding figures away from each other. “We don’t have time for this. Dante, what’s happened here? Where is Uncle Amon?”
Dante immediately relaxed upon facing Reyna. “He’s downstairs. Under the basement.”
“Under the basement?” Her voice reflected her confusion.
He gave a grim smile. “Yeah. Much has happened in the past two years. Master Amon will fill you in.”
Reyna blinked. “Master Amon?”
~*~*~
There was a thick layer of crumbled clay and old, burnt wood in what used to be the living room. Dante kicked some of it to the side to reveal a set of slightly charred basement doors that were entrenched into the floor. He opened them and simple concrete stairs came into view.
“Must we follow?” Erian grunted as the strong scent of human odor floated out of the entrance. “I rather not be around mortals.”
Flow stopped by the open doors, sniffed, and then began salivating.
“Uh-oh,” Cerus said. “Flow’s hungry.” He caught the wolf by the tail before he dashed into the room. “Maybe we shouldn’t go in either.”
“Fine with me.” Dante’s voice was bitter.
“I don’t care where you guys go. I’m going in,” Reyna said.
Mundus stood by the entrance as Reyna and Dante walked down the stairs. He also did not wish to be around humans, but his desire to not leave Reyna alone with Dante was greater. He turned to his companions. “Erian. Cerus. Scout our area. I shall return shortly.”
The two demons hesitated and stared at Mundus. They were to stay by his side at all times, yet his glare ordered them to leave. The two demons thought it better not to stir their prince with any unwarranted suspicion and did as commanded.
When Reyna, Dante, and Mundus reached the bottom of the steps, they were standing in a dim room. The only light came from the small holes and cracks in the ceiling. It was enough to reveal the area’s emptiness. Only partially burned boxes sprinkled around the ground. As they walked, it became apparent the basement was bigger than what it should have been. The muted footsteps of shoes walking on cold cement were replaced with the sharp clang of footfalls walking on metal.
They arrived at another partly rusted metal door that was also embedded in the floor. It would have been missed if not for Dante’s pause by it. He bent down and pulled on the folded handle. The perfectly squared door soundlessly and easily lifted; it was several inches thick. The fact that Dante was able to lift such a heavy object with a single hand was quite a marvel.
He grinned at Reyna. “Master Amon will explain that too.”
“Right,” she spoke, looking down the opening. Only darkness was seen with the top of a ladder peeking through, but something was felt: Amon’s essence. It had been muted until Dante had raised the hatch. Even Mundus lifted an inquisitive eyebrow at the room below that definitely had a seal that prevented Magika presence from escaping. Perhaps if he was more in sync with his body, he would have realized it sooner.
Dante was the first one down the ladder. He stopped, his head peeking out. “I can help you down,” he said to Reyna and offered her his hand.
Reyna shook her head at him and simply jumped down the hole, her slim body easily slipping past Dante and down the black gap. The dull thump of her safe landing echoed up.
Mundus could not help but smirk. “She is no longer the damsel you believe her to be.” He too jumped down leaving Dante with the task of closing the heavy door. It briefly glowed white as it sealed and locked itself once more.
Again the room they were in was dim, but as they progressed it quickly became brighter. In the light, it was evident the hallway was made of the same metal material as the door they slipped through. The passageway soon opened up to a large room that housed the light seen from the hallway. There were several kerosene lamps hanging from metal hooks on the walls. Some were lit, most not. The furniture consisted of only three couches, all of them mismatched love seats and in poor shape.
Towards the back of the room was the layout of a crude kitchen. There was a makeshift table with four stools for chairs. A dozen of propane tanks were stacked up against a wall next to a small grill. A few feet away from that were three coffee tables roughly the same heights that were used as kitchen counters. Above them were homemade cabinets that probably held basic food and spices that could not quickly spoil. There was a small, humming fridge under an hovering sink with exposed plumbing.
As Dante and his guests walked in, the soft conversation that had bustling through the air hushed. Two girls, brunettes that appeared to be sisters in their mid-twenties, were sharing one of the couches. They had been talking to the older man with a familiar face that was seated across from them. Another woman around her forties was asleep in another.
All gawked at the two newcomers only to shift their eyes towards Dante, eager to know what was going on. It wasn’t till one of the young ladies noticed what Mundus was that a veil of panic sheathed the room.
“It’s okay,” Dante said as he came up to them, leaving Mundus and Reyna behind to awkwardly wait for him. “I’m here. Don’t worry.”
Their fright quickly died down as the people gave nods at Dante’s reassuring smile. It was obvious they were familiar and comfortable with him.
Dante returned to the curious yet concerned Reyna and the ever agitating Mundus and ushered them to another shorter hallway that lead to three doors: one to the right, one to the left, and one straight ahead. Dante opened the one to the left.
The room was small but cozy. The two kerosene lamps that hung from the wall provided enough light to see. There was a bed, a desk, and an occupied chair.
“Master Amon,” Dante said walking up to the seated individual. “She came back.”
Reyna was already crossing the room, beyond enthusiastic to see Amon, but when she saw him, she gasped. He looked ten years older. His scars and winkles overlapped each other, making his face look like old leather. The beard he sported –grown where the scars had allowed it to– was about a year old. His long black hair was held back with a grubby hair band. Despite his ghastly appearance, Reyna embraced him all the same.
“Uncle Amon!” she cried, tears brimming.
He returned the hug and smiled, causing his wrinkled veins to cluster together.
She fell into him, glad to hold onto someone of her family when her foot struck the chair he was sitting on. A metal clang rang in the room. The gleam of rims was seen, one on each side of his seat. He was in a wheelchair. Again Reyna gasped.
“Uncle Amon! What happened?” she said through her tears.
He gave a heavy sigh and mentioned for her to sit on the bed. Reyna did. Dante placed his sword to rest up against the wall before taking a seat next to her. Mundus, who had been leaning on the closed door growled at the human boy’s action. He paid the demon no attention.
Amon chuckled. “Mundus,” he said. “You have recovered your body I see. And your sword is at full power too.”
“Indeed.” Mundus gave his short response.
“But first, Reyna.” Amon turned his chair to face her and Dante. It squeaked horribly. “You must tell me. What did you learn while in the demon world?”
“I,” Reyna sighed, reliving a collage of emotions, “I learned many things, Uncle Amon. Some which I don’t think you even want to know.” She paused.
Dante’s encouraging hand fell upon hers. The flames of Mundus’ anger at allowing such an action to occur also cascaded on her, but she ignored it. Dante’s reassurance was well welcomed.
“Well,” she continued, “to sum it up, Mundus is the prince of all demons. His mom, the queen, hates us humans. His dad apparently likes us, but Mundus is not on his side. And humans are apparently mutations from demons. Yup.”
At her last bit of information, Dante’s hand twitched in hers. Amon’s face, which had remained stoic during the telling of Mundus’ family history, gave a strange twist of surprise. Despite the disturbing information she had told them, Reyna was relieved. Sharing such a distressing piece of enlightenment helped alleviate it from her shoulders.
“That explains why humans can have Magika,” Amon speculated with a nod.
“King Auronmar –uh that’s his name– also told me of the hierarchy of Magika and demons. I know you probably know about all that, Uncle Amon, but I don’t know if you know about the Dark Bloods. That’s what Mundus and his parents are. They are omnipotent and have access to all the types of Magika.” Reyna shifted on the bed.
Behind them, Mundus remained emotionless despite the airing out of his and his world’s secrets. He merely stood motionless and observed.
Amon nodded, silent as he digested his niece’s words. “Tell me, did this king tell you anything about Dante’s powers?”
Reyna’s eyes flickered towards the enormous sword that leaned a little bit more than halfway up the wall. “No.”
Following her sight, Dante smiled. “I’m a Berserker. Super strong and anti-Magika. Well, mostly anti-Magika. My sword is my only weapon. It is literally a part of me. I can call it to me whenever I want.”
Reyna gaped at him. “I don’t understand how that’s possible. You with powers? You’re–” She paused, recalling something Cerus had said earlier in the burnt hallway.
“A descendant from the Matsumi Clan.”
“You’re Kibito’s descendant! Ayame’s fiancé!” she exclaimed, pulling her hand away from his.
“Reyna.” He reclaimed her palm. “Please. I now know about–”
Mundus at last reacted. “Enough of such foolishness!”
“I agree,” Amon said. “Mundus, do you mind having a word with me in private?”
“I do indeed,” he snapped and seeing Reyna’s hand still cupped in Dante’s he added, “I also do not desire to linger among such nimble minded mortals. Quite an error to have holed with such idiocy.” He exited the room with a snarl.
Human whimpers were heard as Mundus stormed through the inhabited living room. They did not die down until he had walked down the long hallway and up the path that lead to the metal door exit. Amon hardly had time to permit the seal to allow Mundus through.
“Yeah. He is the asshole I knew he was,” Dante said.
Amon gave a small sigh, but Reyna’s mouth hung open at his brash speech. It seemed the sweet and thoughtful Dante of the past had stayed there. She again pulled her hand away from his. He made no attempt to take it back, but his body language radiated that he really did want it back.
“Reyna,” Amon’s voice rasped. “You need to know what has happened since your absence. What has happened to your parents.”
Reyna held her breath. “You mean they’re not here?”
He sighed deeply. “About a year after your departure to the demon world, Ram took over everything. He had created his demon army, pulling demons already on earth into his ranks along with his own that he had summoned under his control. The entire American continents are under his rule now, and he has shown no signs of stopping. The European and Asian countries had sent their forces here in hopes of stopping him before he invaded their own land, but they were only successful in feeding his army. The entire world now knows demons are real.”
Reyna’s eyes grew wide.
“Before all this, I had returned to Esterwood in hopes of flushing Ram out. I was hoping maybe I could talk him out of his destructive path. I left your parents here with the belief they were visiting me.” Amon shook his head.
“Ram did meet with me,” he said, “but it was under violent means. He would have killed me had Dante not helped me. Instead, I sit before you, paralyzed from the waist down.
“Dante and I fled back here, but now I know it was only because Ram allowed it. How stupid of me. He had followed me in hopes of finding your parents. He destroyed my house and left us alive only to deliver you the message that he has them.”
Each sentence deepened the horrified look on Reyna’s face. “He took them?” She stood. “Why did you leave them here alone in the first place? What was so important that you had to leave? You should have known Ram couldn’t be reasoned with!”
Amon lowered his gaze. “I went back to get the book.”
“Sakuya’s Collection?”
“Yes.”
Reyna shook her head. “Are they…are they dead?”
“I don’t know.”
“Reyna.” Dante stood next to her and tried to take her in his arms. “Please.”
“No.” She fiercely shook her head. “How long ago did he take them?”
“A few months, but we have not been able to look for them. As you saw, we house and protect whatever survivors come our way,” Amon answered. “I had this bunker house built a long time ago. Before you were born. Though I trained Ram in the land above it, he did not know of its existence and I believe he still doesn’t or else he would’ve attacked by now.
“My hopes are he thinks we moved on from my destroyed house and are hiding somewhere else. Even so, I seal it with a barrier that keeps our Magika power locked in so it may not be sensed by others. Though not the most powerful of seals, it has kept us safe for the past year or so we’ve been here.”
Reyna slowly sat back down, stunned and silent. She looked long at her uncle. “Paralyzed.” The word softly left her lips.
Amon bowed his head, a heavy shadow overlapping his face.
“Reyna.” Dante placed an arm around her and pulled her towards his chest. She easily fell into his embrace but the tears that had earlier gathered around her eyes would not fall.
~*~*~
“Master, did that old human figure out this one was talking to Master?” Lina’s high squeak pierced Mundus’ skull yet again that day.
Since Mundus’ recovery into his true body, Lina automatically returned to her place in his sword. Though she now had the power to enter and leave the sword at will, she usually lingered in it. Being inside the sword restored her ability to telepathically talk to Mundus, and it was something she took advantage of quite frequently.
No, Lina, he mentally told her. Though she was an annoyance even in her present form, Mundus preferred to only hear her voice over having her physically near him.
“What this one said was very important to Master! No one must know it!”
Silence. I adhered to your prattle while in that infernal room. I do not wish to continue to do so.
“Yes, Master.”
Mundus had already traveled dozens of miles away from Amon’s underground housing. He left because he knew if he had stayed, Dante wouldn’t be alive anymore and Mundus would have relived the same mistake he had with Ayame, leaving him with nothing once more.
He quietly sighed. He had fallen in love with Ayame because…
Mundus stopped walking and bowed his head only to lift it up and observe his environment for the first time. The desertion and destruction he saw was similar to a zombie apocalypse movie Reyna had seen. Since he was still bound to her when she was watching it, he had seen it as well, though mostly against his will. He had not understood how slow moving, weaponless creatures had been able to scare the humans so, much less take over an entire country.
“Mundus.”
Erian’s silent yet strong voice easily pierced through the heavy silence. Cerus, Fused with Flow, was next to him.
Mundus walked up to them. “Relate your reconnaissance.”
“The state is pretty much a wasteland,” Cerus reported. “We didn’t see or sense any demons. At least not ones with Magika. Ram was also unseen.”
Erian nodded.
“Now what?” Cerus asked as he deFused from Flow. The Spirit wolf ran around, excited to be in an environment so radically different from his home.
“Our living quarters shall not be among mortals,” Mundus spoke.
“I agree,” Erian said.
“However, I must remain within secure proximity of Reyna.”
Erian sneered. Mundus turned and glared at him.
“Why do you not just give that boy the mortal girl?” Erian ventured to say.
The demon prince began to walk back towards the direction of the bunker. “I vowed I would be the one to protect her.”
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Author's Note: Ha!
work free weekend + encouraged writer = this chapter!
I'm going to start updating my wattpad status with my uh...status on the updates for this story and how they are coming along.
Thank you all for reading, and I hope you're enjoying the story. You guys are the best!
^.^