A Price To Be Paid [Dante]

Humans, so easily blind to that which is in plain sight Dante thought to himself as he slipped through the ranks of humans unhindered, moving past them as if he were walking along normally, but at a speed and stealth far beyond the scope of ordinary humans. Though in a body that was forbidden by the higher laws to possess any sort of natural magical ability, Dante gained new benefits. For instance, his current body held the ability to move with such grace and skill, it was almost beyond the scope of ordinary humans. Even with their technology, the patterns of humans was extremely simple; were it not for the fact that Dante wished to be in quietly and without disturbance, all the humans would have been dead by the end of a clock cycle. However, Dante was here for an entirely different reason, and that reason was collection. It was a while since Dante had collected a soul, and it was time that person paid up. She had been moving into Dante's business of procuring magical artifacts for quite some time, and had eventually formed a group and a monopoly on the matter, it was time that Dante corrected that behavior, and show the woman her place in the world.

So with a mind filled with nothing but patience, Dante remained still in the darkest corner, watching with the best view of the area around him. As the hours past, Dante reviewed in his head what the qualifications were that made his target special. She was a mage like himself, powerful in her own right and adept in certain skills. In addition, her status as a revenant also peaked Dante's interest, as it was an energy that wasn't normally tapped into. But the real question was why Dante own her soul, the answer was simple, love. A single wish for a forgotten love caused the woman to descend into Dante's grasp, one who gained favors from deities and demons alike.

Soon the bells tolled into the hours of the evening, and Dante's mark made her move. It was obvious who was coming, a crude form of illusionary magic that could fool the eyes of anyone, even those of Dante's caliber. However, knowing was half the battle, for Illusions can only be the same as people only in image, other than that, they are a fools form of combat. Without magic, Dante still knew how to combat it, and his body made him the perfect hunter for any creature alive. Watching his quarry, Dante waited until she chose her magical artifact, it was crucial to know if she had the natural aptitude to know what was powerful and what was essential. If she already knew the difference, Dante would have a much easier time using her for his own benefit. As she reached for the book that was held within the room, Dante judged that she knew about knowledge, but knowledge was only power, and one requires more than power to achieve something. Whatever his mark was planning, Dante could see that its importance and exploitation wasn't as beneficial as he would like. However, the woman was still of use, for she would provide him with all that he needed.

"A book like that won't do you any good if you don't have the materials to use it" Dante said a-matter-of-factly, appearing out of the shadows like a wraith. Normally one would use discretion until they had the upper hand, but Dante required no such thing, his mark was powerless against him, and he required nothing to deal with her. "Elena Marie I presume, I was hoping that you would be more formidable than this. But one cannot expect much from women, it will only lead to disappointment"

Dante looked at Elena with an air that declared that he was more or less uninterested in her business or her stance on whether or not her ideology was correct. After centuries of experience, Dante was jaded to the thoughts that there were people younger than him that had more experience in magic or old technology. The only exception of such would be John Vanko, Dante's puppet during the NYCA Assault and one of the few who were able to understand Dante's grimoires. Next to Dante, there was no one with as much magical aptitude, the only one left was his current mark, Elena Marie.

"Elena Marie, otherwise known as The Crimson Witch. A magical criminal who managed to reincarnate herself from the dead on several occasions and has taken part in organizations that have compromised the natural order of the world. Violator of many magical laws, and proud user of Celtic based magic." Dante began, slowly pacing back and forth from his original position, his movements controlled and crisp, yet seemed to have a motion of fluidity, like a rolling tide. Though remaining relatively dead pan about what he was talking about, speaking in a nonchalant manner, Dante knew that such information wasn't well known, something that few, and himself, knew about. It was a fair enough warning to those intelligent enough that Dante was more than just a simple assassin, and one who should be wary to encounter. However, Dante decided to push further, it was easier to work with a weaker mind. Something that he could easily create with obscure information. "Mother of one Sean Collin, accomplished Water Mage, evolved into a minor Blood Mage and member of vigilante team The Talons. Wife to one Michael Collin, committed suicide not long after Elena Marie's death, was later resurrected via magical contract with Faerie Queen Titania. Resulting cost was loss of soul to Faerie Queen...etcetera etcetera etcetera. As you can see information of that caliber is not something easily happened upon. That should be sufficient enough for even you to know that I am not some simple assassin. In addition, your thoughts on the book in your hands are in the correct direction, but the full potential is hindered by your lack of experience. However, that is something that can be rectified later. But right now I have to deal with a small problem..."

With a single movement, Dante moved like a flash amongst the darkness, appearing like a flicker before being close enough to Elena to press his blade to her throat. Though unlike most, Dante didn't dare press his blade into her flesh, he was here to collect a person, not a corpse. Instead, his blade hovered, just millimeters from her skin, close enough to slit her throat with a simple flick of the wrist. Though it was uncivilized, Dante knew it was best to use a little force so she knew her place in the interaction. To Dante, women were even more defiant and proud compared to men; despite their looks they were venomous. Though he was in no danger, Dante did not enjoy the times when a woman would act so defiant, society was lenient on the descendants of Eve.

"And that problem is this woman in front of me who believes that she is above men in this world. Perhaps it is because you are born in this century, but be warned that I won't tolerate such behavior, you should know your place, woman." Dante said calmly, his voice an icy cold stream of controlled malice and aggression. Lowering his blade to his side, Dante let his figure tower over Elena, his mask showing none of his true emotion, only showing a cold disposition. He didn't bother to consider letting her fight back, it was time to force his hand upon her, and show her why he was here. "Now Kneel"

Dante looked down at the defeated witch, who couldn't do a thing as Dante quickly dispatched her in the form of combat that she normally excelled in, the battle of minds. It was her foolishness that caused her to lose, not ensuring that her deal with the Fae didn't end up badly for her. Instead, she naively thought that the Fae would keep her soul indefinitely, instead of selling it off immediately as a quick scheme to repay their debts. Dealing with Fae over centuries, Dante had accumulated many debts, rewards for small favors, or simply just beating the Fae at their own game. With such a large scoreboard that could span across the planet, purchasing the soul of one woman was a simple endeavor for Dante, all he had to do was ask. With her mistakes now catching up to her, the Crimson Witch remained kneeling at Dante's feet, recognizing him as her master. Though implied, it was convenient that the woman had at least some experience in ownership of souls, it saved time and energy that would have been spent having to explain everything to her. Pacing around the woman, Dante circled her like a shark preparing to take its prey by surprise. Of course in this situation, Dante already had the upper hand, Elena Marie was already defeated.

“Well I would have to say, it is comforting that you at least know when you belong to someone else. What does it feel like? Does it pain you to know that you're a slave to your own mistakes, kowtowing to a man like you so valiantly thought you would resist. That's what you were thinking, correct? That's what your mind was telling me." Dante said, reciting some of the small details that he had read from Elena's mind. To him, Elena's mind was like an open book, all he had to do was refer to her soul in order to tell whether or not she was being truthful, or whether she was attempting to hide things from her. "Souls are such peculiar and useful things, it is such a common thing for a young mage to trade off his soul, thinking that the small deal of power they are given will give them the advantage they need in order to outdo their peers. Little do they know, for when a Fae or Demon requires to repay a debt, a soul is the first thing to go. Souls aren't as precious as you would think, they are rather easy to happen upon, and they give another mortal a nice thrall once they know how to use them. Now, don't move"

Taking the ancient tome from Elena's hands, no resistance met when he did, Dante proceeded to open it and read the text that was inside. It was true that most could not read it, it was in Ancient Enochian, a form of language used by ancient denizens of the Three Kingdoms. It was broken up into different parts, studies on rituals, languages, physiology, but none of these were what Dante was looking for. Looking further into the different deciphers of the book, Dante eventually found what he was looking for, Soul Branding. It was an interesting procedure, all it needed was the correct catalyst. Looking at his surroundings, Dante eventually found the ornate cross he was looking for, it was a Christian Cross, the middle sporting a large gem. Dabbling amount of his blood upon the jewel, it changed hues from clear to dark red. Returning back to his thrall, he extended the cross towards her.

"Your specialty is Light Magic correct? Then you must have at least some knowledge of focusing your energy to create heat. Take this cross, place it on your chest, just over your heart. If required, place it between your breasts during the procedure. Then channel your magic through the entirety of the cross, be accurate, make sure that every single edge and line is clearly defined. You're about to brand yourself, so mind the pain, and don't focus too much energy, you're just going to do enough that it will define the symbols on your skin. Also, do make sure that the red gem is directly over your heart, otherwise we are going to have to erase it and do it all over again. Do exactly as I instructed you, and feel free to scream. If you have any questions, please save them until after you have branded yourself, unless you are unable to afterwards..."

Dante watched with detached interest as the witch branded herself per his command and made her humiliation and ownership all the more apparent. Regardless of how much she refused to show it, her anger at Dante was obvious and a reinforcement of the helplessness of her situation. Dante removed the cross from her unresisting hands, Dante stored it onto his belt. Returning his gaze to the witch, Dante lifted up her head making sure she could look into his eyes and see just how insignificant her existence was in the face of this immortal that stood before her. Pulling her close, letting only a breath's distance between them, letting her face light up in the eerie green glow which shined from his eye sockets.

"The branding is merely a precaution Crimson Witch, something that I believe to be essential between magicians. Despite its derogatory nature, it is to ensure that no one other than myself is able to liberate your soul. However..." Dante said in an informative matter, as if the information was something obvious. But as he continued his voice showed more malice, and his hand began to tense to the point that his metallic gloves began to dig into the woman's skin, drawing a small amount of blood. "If you're that bent on being treated like a farm animal, maybe I will turn you into livestock, I'm sure there would be many Unseelie happy to take in such a young, magical woman. You'd spend an eternity pleasuring the cock of some troll, or maybe you'd better suit a local troop of goblins, they are always looking to conquer a new bitch. But luckily for you, I have a greater purpose for someone of your specific talents. Bu-"

"Freeze!!"

Looking up from his thrall, Dante saw the roaming security guards, who had finally caught wind of the secret meeting occurring within their museum. Seeing Dante hold his massive blade, their first reaction was to reach for their weapons. However, Dante was faster than they were, and set off into motion as quick as thought. To those who were experienced enough to even catch a glimpse of Dante's dance of death could watch as the Dark Elf warrior's blade moved with a fluidity that was beyond human skill. With every twirl came a swing of a sword, with every step came a parry, with ever pace came a thrust. By the end of it all, each guard had obtained one slice, each in a major blood vessel, each breaking the important nerves, ending their lives almost instantly. As quick as thought, Dante had dispatched a large group of men, counting to about ten, as if he were performing a choreographed dance.

"Rude little insects..." Dante sighed, more annoyed if anything from the interruption, swinging his blade to wipe the blood off of the surface. Returning his gaze to Elena, his former enthusiasm with punishing her disappeared, giving her only a look of slight boredom. Without making anymore indication, Dante turned around and began to walk out of the museum, seeing that business was done for the day. As he reached an archway, a light flared for a brief instance, and the hallway ahead changed into a watery vision of another world. On the other side was a plane of beautiful summer, filled with brilliant sunbeams and golden leaves, creatures of beauty dancing among the nature ahead. "Your realization of your fate will have to wait until later, Elena Marie. We are taking our leave"

Without another word, Dante walked through the watery portal, and disappeared into the world beyond.