The rings grew larger the further up Solus and Dante flew, their vast curves disappearing into shadow. Below them, writhing souls moved within the Circles in a continuous torture specifically designed for each kind of sin: lust, gluttony, avarice, wrath, heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. As Solus flew over the seventh Circle, Bian, he glanced down at the suicide forest. Harpies pecked at the lifeless trees, and he caught the fleeting forms of souls running under the skeletal canopy.
Some souls were more solid-looking than others, but all shared a common trait. Because they no longer had a physical form to anchor them, souls could also technically Shift, which meant there was the possibility of escape. While it was unlikely any soul would gain the knowledge or discipline needed to Shift, a barrier was put in place to make certain nothing “accidentally” found its way out.
This also meant that demons and Fallen had to walk or fly through the Circles to get anywhere. Solus had explored a great part of the Circles and so was familiar with the landscape that rushed by below him. If his favorite spot was the red waterfall that fell from the gate between Trae and Heres, his least favorite had to be the whirlwind of the second Circle, Lascivio. Since he could not Shift here, he had to maneuver through a narrow crevasse in the wall separating the second and third Circles, then once clear fly straight up and above the swirling tornado of wind and shredded souls without getting sucked in. Although he never had the pleasure, he knew of other demons who did and it took a lot of effort for them to heal – and a few never made it out.
Carefully flying over the tugging wind, he made his way to the final gate leading to Limbus. Seeing Dante descend onto the path at the edge of the forest, Solus banked away from the gate and flew over the cliff. He made sure not to make eye contact with the Gatekeeper, remembering the tentacled arm that cast him into Dis. As soon as Solus was on the ground, Dante continued on foot into the forest. Solus followed until they came upon an old iron gate that was a familiar first memory of this hellish place.
“This is how you will enter the Human Realm,” Dante pointing at the gate.
Solus hesitated. “What do I do, walk through it?”
Dante snorted. “Not literally. You Shift.”
“But,” Solus responded confused. “I can’t Shift if I can’t visualize the location I wish to go to.”
“You don’t visualize anything, idiot boy. You just Shift.” He threw his hands in the air. “You’ve done it enough times around the city to know what it feels like. Just do everything the same except don’t think of a place.”
Solus gave a low growl. “As a demon, I believe I am older than you. So stop calling me ‘idiot boy.’ Please.” He added the last part as an act of apology, realizing he had forgotten whom he addressed.
Dante only wheezed out a chuckle. “You may have been a demon longer than I, but your human form that you favor so tells me that you died young. Struck down before experience and learning made you wise.” His grin became a menacing grimace and his stance was that of a snake ready to strike. “I lived through political and religious turmoil, and experienced first-hand the evil that permeates the Human Realm. My innocence left me long ago, in that sense I am far older than you, idiot boy.”
“Fine,” Solus huffed. He had been taught that to complete a Shift, one needed to visualize the destination. Without one, he would go nowhere. Dante glared at him with eyebrows raised in expectation. He felt helpless beneath that gaze, and terrified that the old man would become so irritated that he would just strike him down where he stood for his ignorance.
Finally, Dante let out an exasperated sigh. “Close your eyes, pup,” he said.
Solus immediately did as he was told.
“Now, focus on the feeling of the Shift.”
“What should I visualize?”
“I said don’t visualize anything!” There was the sound of Dante’s foot stamping the ground.
“Okay, okay,” Solus put his hands up in surrender. He couldn’t focus without thinking of a destination, so he pretended he was visualizing a pitch black night with no stars. He then prepared for the uncomfortable feeling where his body seemed to compress into a ball the size of a walnut. Only half expecting success, he was surprised to feel the Shift actually happen. Panic gripped him and he began to fight against the excruciating pressure.
“Let it happen, pup,” Dante’s voice floated through the searing white pain around him.
Dante’s voice was surprisingly calming, and Solus began to ease into the Shift. The pressure started to subside and the throbbing in his ears gave way to a gentle sound of wind and dripping water. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a dark cave.
“How did I – ” he spun around in disbelief, searching for the trees and iron gate of Limbus.
“Now how easy was that?” Dante chided from the shadows.
“Where are we?”
Dante stepped forward. “We’re in an island nation called Japan, in a cave that is a shrine to one of their gods. I highly recommend that you do not walk out of here dressed like that.”
Solus looked down at the clothing he wore when he died. His knee-length blue tunic was cinched at his waist with a white sash held tight with a gold pin. He briefly wondered what was wrong with his attire, but was more concerned about Shifting to an unknown area.
“How did I get here? I don’t know this place.”
“Limbus Gate is connected to four locations in this world. Generally you don’t get to pick where, so I’m most happy we didn’t end up in Siberia.” Dante’s form shimmered and his robes changed into a simple black buttoned top with short sleeves and stiff-looking blue pants. “Change your clothes and let’s go for a walk.”
The clothes Solus had worn in life looked nothing like the strange clothing his companion wore. Since all he had to go on was what Dante had on now, he re-imagined his body wearing exactly the same thing.
“At least pick a different colored shirt, boy,” Dante mumbled, his own shirt shimmered and changed into a brightly colored battle of red and yellow flowers.
They walked out of the cave into a forested area. The path was wide enough that Solus could picture two ox carts side by side with enough room to walk between. It was paved with a black rock similar to the hard sandy mixtures of Atlas. A couple walked along the path toward them. The man wore a similar pair of stiff blue pants, but with a tight-fitting white tunic that had some sort of writing on the front, and the woman wore a white and purple striped dress that stopped at her knees. In her hand was a small round fan to keep them both cool in the humid afternoon air. They held hands and whispered happily to each other, pausing to smile politely and slightly nod their heads as they passed, blissfully unaware that they greeted demons.
Dante nudged Solus in the ribs. “Those two look like tasty souls, don’t you think?”
“Excuse me?” Solus’s head snapped up to face Dante. “What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, come on,” Dante’s eyes narrowed, “You can’t tell me you haven’t tried devouring a soul. There’s so many to choose from in the Circles!”
Solus grimaced. He knew both demons and Fallen would often devour souls to gain more power, but the thought sickened him. He managed to become stronger without them – and planned to keep it that way.
Dante’s eyes narrowed further. Then after a pause, he huffed, “Well, a strange one you are. At least you would enjoy Taking their souls then.” It was more a question than a statement.
“You mean Take their souls?” Solus asked, tilting his head in the direction the couple had gone. “Why would I Take their souls? I smelled no trace of evil on them. What Circle would they go to?”
Now Dante’s eyes widened in surprise. “What do you think Limbus is, pup?”
It took a few steps for Solus to realize Dante had stopped walking. “It’s,” he stammered, “it’s where the souls wait to be judged.”
“Not all souls there get judged, idiot boy. Many are there for the very reason I suggested – because a demon enjoyed it.” He took a step forward. His aura made Solus take an uncomfortable step back. “Demons don’t always Take souls that the Guardians don’t want, pup. They will Take a soul simply because they can.”
Solus’s head spun as he took in what his companion said. Because the sole purpose of the Circles was to be everlasting torment for souls who would not be accepted into the Upper Realm, he always assumed that the only souls who were Taken were cast offs like himself. But now that he was told he could Take any soul, something dark crept inside his brain and started to burrow there. He couldn’t quite place what the darkness was, only that it wanted him to doubt. But doubt what? He shook his head vigorously and once more looked up at Dante. He thought he saw a fleeting smile pass the old man’s lips.
“To be trapped in a hell where you don’t belong is not something I would wish on anyone,” Solus said. “I will not separate loved ones for no reason.”
It seemed Dante was about to respond when a clouded look came over his eyes. He tilted his head, as if listening to something. Then abruptly he said, “We have to get back.”
“What’s wrong?” Solus asked.
Dante grunted, “You’ll find out soon enough. Just think of a place in the city and you’ll Shift there, just like normal. You can handle that on your own, right?” And leaving “idiot boy” hanging in silence, the old man vanished.
Concerned that Solus’s little adventure with an untrustworthy demon made itself known to Andras somehow, he carefully visualized himself in his room. The Shift happened quickly and with less pain, and he opened his eyes to the bare apartment he called home. Quickly, he opened his door and moved into the hall. He happened to glance down and saw he was still wearing the strange clothes of the human world. He hastily visualized his usual attire, and none too soon as Francesca came around the far corner. She spotted him and paused for a brief moment. Then with a determined gait she continued toward him.
“Where have you been?” she spat.
Any look of guilt Solus might have had on his face melted quickly into nervousness as she walked toward him. Francesca did not have the blood-angry eyes when he did something wrong. She instead had the sneer of displeasure when she had to do something she felt was beneath her.
“If you hadn’t Shifted into Dis, I wouldn’t have known to come here!”
“I’m sorry, Francesca, I was exploring the Circles. When I arrived at the gates, I came straight here,” he knew he would get caught in that lie if Francesca bothered to delve closer into the stream of his Shift. But thankfully she was too irritated to bother.
She stopped a few paces in front of him and took a breath before speaking. “I don’t have time for questions, understand?”
Solus blinked and nodded.
“I was sent to inform you that all the demons Master Andras sent to the Human Realm were destroyed when they came across a group of Guardians and Soul Protectors. He wishes to speed up your training, because you will need to take up what the others failed to do.”
She was about to turn around when Solus found his voice. “What of Rhyder and Belgard?”
A sneer escaped her lips. “Did I not just say all the demons were destroyed?” She turned on her heels. “I have to return to more important matters and I’ve wasted enough time searching for you,” she muttered before she Shifted out of sight.
Solus put his back to the wall. In his mind he could see Rhyder’s mischievous smile and Belgard’s pondering eyes. They were lost to him now, just like a devoured soul, they no longer existed. He had never considered the two as friends. But now, taking in their absence, he realized he had considered them brothers. So, unable to weep, Solus mourned for them in silence.