Chapter Six

Dante didn't mind riding on the back of a lady, not even when she smelt so… alluring. He could tell that Crystal put a lot of effort into her appearance, but still, he wondered who she was doing it for. It couldn't have been him; she didn't even know about him before then. And he still wasn't sure what her deal was; it was best to remain wary.

I can't make a mistake, I can't fail here.

"What do you want with me? And be honest, I don't have time," although that wasn't right, and he knew it. Since he was practically at her mercy, and he was going to go whichever way she dictated whether he liked it or not.

"Do you know what some people call this world?" She asked, raising her voice over the din of the bike she was riding.

"No, I don't. Tell me." Dante was becoming tired of the back and forth. But the look Alan sent his way still haunted him. He needed to be careful henceforth.

"Hell. And you ended up at one of the better parts, all you have to fight off is the despair that becomes a ring around your neck. Well, it's never that simple here. And this is your introductory course," before Dante could wonder what she meant, Crystal took a dangerous turn and Dante felt himself dislodge from the back of the bike. He was grasping at the air for purchase, but it was to no avail.

He flew back with force, his head connecting with sharp sand that made his brain ring. He closed his eyes to stop the world from spinning for a while.

"What the fuck did you do that for?" He screamed at Crystal, wincing in pain. The pain steadily morphs into anger, and he forces himself into a mindless state, knowing fully well how dangerous his anger could be. He didn't want to make a mistake like the one with Liz.

"Any human can die here. I won't have deadweight on me. Prove yourself." Crystal spoke with such a commanding tone, Dante was shocked into silence. He'd never seen such an overbearing personality before, it felt absolutely new to him. Or maybe, he'd just been sheltered from women in general.

Maybe.

"This place is a desert as far as the eyes can see. What exactly do you want me to do, bake in the sun to prove that I'm not going to die from sunburn?" His voice was low, and menacing. It was clear that he was losing his temper but Crystal didn't seem like someone who cared, she didn't even act like it.

"They'll be here soon," she replied, staring into the distance. Even though the world was technically not real, it was vast. They'd been riding for hours and there was still no sign of life anywhere. The Graveyard seemed to be a better rendition than the rest of the pocket world.

"Who?" Dante asked and like clockwork, he felt giant claws almost scrape his face, and his eyes widened in horror.

"They're here." Crystal clapped in glee, like a child in front of her favorite meal. Dante didn't see what was funny in the entire situation. But he wasn't going to give her the chance to see him falter, he was going to face everything head-on and once he was done, he'd have that conversation with Crystal again.

The creatures in front of him seemed to be made from sand, and they materialized and immaterialized at will.

"What are you?" He asked the sand creatures, looking at him through sand filled eyes. Although he couldn't exactly tell what was controlling them, there always had to be a mechanism to certain things.

"You think too much. Continue that and you'd be dead before you come up with a strategy." Crystal said, running a commentary he didn't ask for, but appreciated nonetheless.

The sand wolves had longer than normal canines, and the eagles had talons sharper than the edge of a cliff. The haunches of the wolves had rippling muscle, even though Dante couldn't wrap his head around it. The sand seemed to maintain their forms, but their power, he could tell that it wasn't on a level he could deal with casually.

One of the beasts jumped him and he unwitting stretched forth a hand, fear making a home in his rib cage. The beast exploded into fine sand, and even Crystal looked surprised.

"Attaboy, didn't know you had it in you," she said, the snide tone already returning. The sand creatures took a step back, and Dante stared at his hands, unable to believe what just happened. But that wasn't the time for a pat on the back, the other sand creatures were recovering gradually.

"How do I take care of the rest?" He asked Crystal who just looked at anywhere but Dante's face.

"I don't know, deal with it yourself." She said, whistling at his predicament. He was getting pissed off and he could feel his anger transmuting into something else, something his arms understood more than he did.

So, he stopped thinking, and just acted. It was crazy, the way he launched himself into the air, eyes blazing with fury.

"YOU. WILL. NOT. LOOK. DOWN. ON. ME!" He screamed and his body felt hotter by the second, his eyes trained on the foes before him. It felt like his heart had gears turning, he was losing his mind gradually, his whole body vibrating.

When the punch landed, the impact blew Crystal away, and even managed to lift up the bike before it crashed to the ground. There was a shockwave that shook the entire surrounding and everything within a two mile radius was blown away.

Dante looked at his hand, and the huge crater he formed with his fists. The sand creatures were nowhere to be found and Dante was worried about Crystal.

"Hiya. That was beyond my expectations. How did you do it?" She came up from behind him and he took several steps back. He clearly saw her fly off into the distance, so how the hell was she in front of him?

"I know what you're thinking, so, stop thinking." Crystal laughed, and it was the singular most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. But, of course he didn't say that, it wouldn't do well to have her ego overly inflated.

"Forget the rules, forget about everything. You're with me now, that's all that should be in your head. I'll tell you everything when the time is right. But remember… this world is not your friend. Let's get going, it'll be dark soon," Crystal hopped away and Dante wasn't sure what to think. On one hand, she was aggravating. On another.. she was an absolute delight.

He wasn't sure he was thinking rightly anyway.

"Dark soon? It's never been dark," Dante pointed out but Crystal just gave him a sly smile.

"You'll see," that's all she said as she walked with feline grace to where her bike was. He didn't know the first think about her, but he was getting even more curious by the second.

And she wasn't making it easy for him either. He only hoped that things got less.. crazier. He wasn't sure how much more he could deal with.

If only he knew…