Dancing In The Void

“Constantine.” Evan called out, his voice cold and ominous like the gray clouds that hung in the sky.

The weather was very chilly today, an icy wind howling through the dead trees of the forest. Evan was wrapped up in a thick gray jacket, with a pair of khakis on his legs and some large brown boots. On his head was a simple design-less baseball cap and around his neck a short yellow scarf.

The dreaded day had finally arrived. It had been a month and half a week since Wrath attacked the mansion and stole away Nikolai. The pressure was reaching its breaking point for all of them, most of all Constantine, who had barely any sleep for what felt like weeks. The plan was reviewed countless times, and all prayed that with a bit of luck, it would go well. Constantine was in the back garden with his half of the holy lance, carefully polishing and sharpening it as he sat on a chair and watched the trees sway in the wind. His attire was different from his friend’s. Constantine was donning a sharp black tuxedo with a white shirt underneath, a suiting black tie and long black shoes. When Evan called him, he took one last look at the forest before standing and turning the spear into a knife. He bent down and fixed it on a metallic holster plate above his calf. The weapon could not be seen, and even it was small and light enough that it didn’t affect his step. Small guns were out of the discussion from the start, no way they could be carried inconspicuously.

“Looks good doesn’t it?” Constantine asked, stamping his right leg.

Evan nodded. “It’s time.”

Constantine nodded back, then looked at his friend. Evan was staring at his right palm, his hand violently shaking. Constantine walked up to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Evan. We’ll get through this. After tonight things are gonna go back to how they were…”

“Heh, of course. Still it’s…” Evan sighed and took a deep breath. “So much of the plan depends on me… only natural to be a bit scared ain’t it?”

“Look at the bright side…” Constantine chuckled. “If things go badly, me and Katherine are the ones that will probably die a horrible death.”

Evan winced. “Don’t, don’t joke like that, ‘specially not now.”

The two friends laughed it off, and after a bit embraced each other tightly. The two broke it off and then walked inside in silence. There, Uriel was anxiously twiddling her fingers as she sat on the grand stairs. She wore the same outfit she borrowed from Katherine a while back, she liked it so much Katherine promised she’d buy her even more similar clothes once they recovered Nikolai. A smile danced across her face when Constantine and Evan entered the hallway from the living room. The two responded in kind.

“So…” She began. “I do believe the hour’s finally upon us.”

“I guess so, love. Where’s Kath?” Evan asked, pulling at his scarf. Despite how cold it was outside, inside was still pleasantly warm.

“She’s still getting ready upstairs. Got to look convincing enough I presume? Speaking of convincing... you look really well, Constantine.” She said, her smile shining bright.

Constantine smiled with a soft blush in his cheeks. “Thank you.” He said bluntly.

Tok

Katherine’s shoes echoed when she walked on the highest step of her grand stairs. The three looked at her in stunned silence. Uriel and Evan’s mouths were wide open in shock, while Constantine just stared like a statue. Katherine was dressed in a marvelously elegant white dress, low cut back, with no right shoulder strap. The lower part of the dress flowed only over her right leg, leaving her left bare. On her left leg’s thigh near her knee were three small black leather belts, and her shoes were pearly white, similar color to her dress, with medium-height thick heels. Her hair was cut short on the right side, making her flowing white hair curve over her head and down her shoulder, revealing a pair of her special silver cross earrings. Her lips were flaming red and her eyes a shade of violet beneath tones of black and blue. Even Uriel’s snow-like wings seemed like nothing to the white beauty that was walking down the stairs.

“Holy. Shit.” Evan couldn’t help but exclaim when she made it to the bottom. Katherine smiled at the remark but frowned afterwards.

“This was the only bloody dress I could find, I wish I had something more… protective.” She looked at her bare leg.

“It’ll be fine Kath. You look wonderful by the way.” Constantine assured her.

“Thanks, never hurts to be a little more careful though. You too ready to go?”

“Yep, where’s your halberd?”

“I put it in its cello case, let me go get it.” She said, rushing to the living room and back.

“You sure they’ll let you in with that?” Evan asked.

“I have an actual cello in there too, and a seller’s pass. No demon will see the halberd.” Katherine explained. She then turned to her angel friend. “Before we go, Uriel, as I told you a while back we can’t allow you to risk yourself by coming with us. But I can not possibly force you to stay, short of chaining you in the basement, therefore I must ask of you to promise me that you will not leave the house, can you do that for me?”

Uriel melancholically nodded. “Of course, but… promise me you’ll come back, please.” A single tear fell from her right eye. Katherine wiped it away with her left index finger and smiled.

“Perfect.” She said, her voice trembling with an ominous tone. “I already promised all will be ok, didn’t I?”

The trio then made their way outside, as Uriel sat back down on the stairs and watched them leave. Katherine turned back to wave at Uriel with her right hand, but all the while her left traced a pentagram symbol over the door. A small nearly unnoticeable wave pulsed over the house. Constantine turned back, noticing the pulse. He looked at Katherine with a sharp yet confused eye..

“Did you see that?” He asked curiously.

“See what?” She replied, hurrying along to the large black jeep that was parked in front of the driveway. Evan got in the driver’s seat as Katherine got in besides him and Constantine behind him. The car roared, and drove off onto the road.

“Everything is set in the back, right Evan?” Katherine asked as she looked out the window.

“Yes, I made sure of it yesterday, and checked about three more times before I went to sleep.” His answer came and helped soothe her. Although Katherine was very good at hiding it along with most of her emotions, she did feel mildly tense about the mission. She looked up at the gray clouds as the sky began to darken.

It may rain tonight. She thought.

Azazel looked out the tall windows of Wrath’s apartment. The sky was getting darker. So far the winter had been mild, without a single snowfall yet, and only the occasional rain. The weather was quite cold however, and that gray coldness made for a beautiful view of dead forest trees intertwined with the other buildings and parks outside the window.

“Quite a smart way to deal with it.” He started talking out loud. “Turning part of your house into a library for blind people to disguise your appearance when the sun’s up... It’s smart, truth be told, I didn’t expect that from you, Wrath.”

A muffled “Fuck you Azazel.” came from another room. He chuckled at the remark.

“Come on, we have to get going soon.” He began pacing around the room, clapping his hands as he swung his arms around his body. He then swayed his body to imaginary music, enjoying himself. Wrath’s home was large, but not particularly luxurious. The living room felt somewhat void of life to Azazel, nothing more than a table with a simple flower vase on it. It was a white chrysanthemum. Other than that, a couch, some chairs and a very long tv on a stand between two glass drawers pointed towards them. No other decorations, nothing on the walls, nothing else on the table, nothing, the whole room felt dead and empty.

“And if you recall Azazel, it was you that gave me this building. A parting gift from what I recall. So... how’d I look, tiny dancer?” Wrath asked, opening the door to her room and leaning against the wooden frame.

Azazel turned back to her, smiling with a light blush of embarrassment. His blush melted into a grin and a nod of approval, his hungry green eyes fixed on Wrath’s figures. One hand seductively placed on her right hip, while she showed off her flaming red dress, short and mildly tight on her thighs and body. Her breasts were firmly pushed up, teased by the large neck opening. Her wings wrapped around her body, accentuating her from while hiding her shoulders and blending into the design of the dress. Azazel’s eyes moved to her long, feminine yet muscular legs. He savored them with lustful gazes before his eyes trailed to the pair of black shining shoes. His eyes then moved back to her short crimson hair that blazed like fire beneath Wrath’s black horns, matching her golden eyes, purple lips, and smooth gray skin.

“You are… so unbelievably sexy Wrath.” He staggered out after a while.

“Hehe, thanks Azazel.” She teased turning around and bending slightly over. “Would you join me in bed?”

“Oh believe me I would, unfortunately I only make love to demons, sorry darling.” Azazel replied, sending her a kiss. “And I think I’m smart enough to know when you’re setting me a trap.”

“Touche.” Wrath smiled, faking anger as she bit her lower lip and flipped him off. Both of them laughed at the moment. “Should we get going?” Wrath asked, putting on a pair of long silken white gloves and making her way towards the hallway. “Don’t you need to pick up your package as well?”

“Oh don’t worry about that, I told Baal to take care of everything.” Azazel got up and opened the door for his partner, who gave him a flirtatious look as thanks for the gesture.

Nikolai was roughly pulled out of her slumber by a broad hairy hand. Fear gripped her, as she immediately recognized that dreadful, horrific hand. It was a hand that had grabbed and hit her body with demonic savagery countless times over the tortuous past month. She crawled through the blood that littered the muddy floor, making her way to the iron bars of her cage before her tormentor could punish her again. The red nectar on the ground belonged to her, and it should have dried up long ago, but the unclean stagnant water kept it floating. Her entire body trembled as she pulled herself up on the metal, wincing as the pain coursed through her joints and muscles. Her hair was a filthy mess along with the rest of her body, her burnt eye fully black as it ever was and the spark of life in her blue one faded to obscurity.

“I have not got all day. Move.” Baal’s rough intimidating voice boomed and echoed in the empty dungeon.

Nikolai looked at him, full of fear and despair, and prayed for him to die the most horrible death in that instant, but alas her wish went unanswered. She limped towards him as he then dragged her out of the prison and towards a dim lit hallway. After walking for a few minutes Nikolai was blasted by light for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Baal shoved her forward and into an empty room paved with white marble everywhere. The sound of rushing water nearby made her realize where she was.

“You have twenty minutes.” The bodyguard told her. “When I call you go through that door on the opposite end and get dressed.” She nodded meekly in reply.

Nikolai turned and looked around the room when the metallic door was shut, spotting a single shower head and turning it on. She took off her rags as the warm water washed over her, seeping into her pores and cleansing the hell that clung to her. Her thoughts filled with memories of the utter agonizing torture that she’d endured. Immediately, Nikolai collapsed on her knees, weeping softly, afraid of the nightmare that was to come.

Her eye glimpsed something between the drops of water for the slightest of moments, it looked like a pale silhouette, a spectre watching over her. It was too fast for her weary vision, and as Baal’s voice boomed for her to move, she gave no further thought to it. Near the door on the opposite end were two white towels that she used to dry herself before continuing inside. There on a single chair, a long dress awaited her, along with a fresh set of undergarments, socks, and gleaming white shoes. There was also a hairbrush and some cleaning accessories. The dress was beautiful peachy yellow with two silk red flowers embroidered onto it, one near the left hip, the other closer to the stomach on the right side, with the bottom part of the skirt split in two. Once she was dressed, Baal burst into the room and savagely dragged her out to the next room. There, a tall, glassy structure, like an upright coffin, awaited her.

“N-no… p-please.” She begged, but Baal shoved her forward, nearly throwing her on the ground.

“Get inside. Now. Don’t make me ask twice.” He said, his voice deep and trembling with hate. “If you keep delaying I’ll break your arms and legs and stuff you inside. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to breathe just fine.”

Nikolai could not hold back her tears, but a quick and fierce slap immediately made her stop. She summoned all her willpower, and walked inside the dreadful box, trying to hide her agony.. Moments later Baal shoved her into a large industrial van, chained her box to the floor, and then away.

“We’re here.” Katherine’s gloomy voice announced when Evan parked the jeep on a small grassless hill. Away in the distance, surrounded by a small gathering of fir trees, was a complex of buildings. About four or five in number, Constantine could not tell. He and Kath then got out of the car without uttering another word. He turned to Evan and nodded, his friend responded in kind, then drove off.

“We should go around the forest.” Constantine suggested. “If they see us coming from there we may cause some suspicion.”

“Let’s go then.” His partner replied, wrapping her arm around his and hurrying forward.

About twenty minutes later the duo found themselves in front of an incredibly fancy location, with dozens of groups and couples queuing to get inside. Constantine looked up at the name above the large open doors, Kalis-In-Tris it read.

“Fire and Brimstone.” Katherine answered his question before he asked it.

“Classy name for a classy restaurant.” Constantine chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood. Katherine ignored him and the two walked up to a kindly yet incredibly old butler who was standing behind a small podium off to the side of the door.

“Good evening young ones.” He said, his voice joyful and mature at the same time. ”May I see your invitations?”

Katherine pulled two envelopes from her purse and handed them over with a smile.

“Ah, I see.” The old man inspected them with his pocket glasses. “May I ask for the password?”

“Duurbaduur.” Katherine whispered, her voice nearly unrecognizable.

“Ah, you’re a demon, dear lady. Pray forgive me I could not tell.”

“We both are, we’re the warden-children of Master Cain. As you’re aware, Master Cain cannot attend, most unfortunate as it is. His ailing health means he cannot leave the great Ziggurat.” Katherine continued, her current cheerful attitude completely different from her normal personality.

“Indeed, Dudael is such a faraway place… a pity indeed. Miss, please hand your cello case to this gentleman, he will deliver it to your table.” The butler said, as a youthful waiter materialized next to him. Katherine handed her cello case with a nod. “Very well, that will be all then. Enjoy your evening you two. Go on ahead. Straight further is the party, and to your right, you will find most of the objects on sale tonight. The restricted section will be beyond that, and you both are welcome there. Also if I may add a comment, I’ve seen some of the products this year, and I’m certain you will find something beautiful to bring back to Master Cain.” The butler warmly said, smiling all the time.

“Thank you very much Mr…?” Constantine said, walking up next to Katherine.

“Theodorem, if it pleases you.” He answered, writing something on his gray notebook that was on the podium.

“Theodorem, but we best get going, we may already be too late.”

“Not at all young man, the night is still young, enjoy it.” The butler replied and turned to two other guests that arrived.

“Ah, Lady Macbeth, we are most glad to join us, Octavian will be stoked to…” Constantine last heard him as they made their way inside.

“Master Cain?” Constantine asked subtly as they walked in.

“Some elder demon that never attends, always sends gifts to sell or thralls to buy things for him. Seemed like a safe gamble.” Katherine whispered back.

The hallway split in two almost immediately, with one half curving rightwards, the other leading straight ahead. There he could see people of all sorts, men dressed in costumes just like his, some blue, some gray, some with wine glasses in their hands, others discussing and debating. Almost all accompanied by women in their beautiful dresses, standing about looking pretty.

This must be where the unaware humans are. Constantine thought to himself, his pace slowing down to get a better look.

“Constantine. Over here.” Katherine quietly called out to him.

He turned to her and rushed ahead. In front of him was a large hallway-like room, a red carpet in the middle, and on the sides were rows of tall rectangular glass boxes of varying widths and lengths. A multitude of people surrounded them, all merrily inspecting their contents. Constantine and walked up to the nearest one, the glass was sanded white, but seeing through it was easy enough. This one was more wide than long, and it had about three snakes inside, or maybe it was just one snake with multiple heads. He couldn’t tell as they were too coiled up around themselves for him to notice anything aside from the three pairs of yellow eyes and the three tongues that lashed at him.

These booths are soundproof it seems. He noticed. Constantine looked down on the golden plaques inscribed in black. Water serpent -- Presented by Baroness Sharvinel. It read.

“Aha, so it is just one snake.” He then said out loud to himself. Constantine then turned around and walked along the carpet, looking left and right at the glass boxes. Some had ancient parchments, bones, artifacts, simple and inanimate occult objects. Others contained regular-looking creatures that quickly turned out to not be so regular after a quick inscription read. Then came the more dreadful boxes, full of strange oddities and creatures he did not recognize. A particularly large one contained what appeared to be a dreaded wendigo, in a strange state of hibernation while others beside it contained what Constantine soon learned to be a box of imps, and another that had some very large hounds. One box in particular caught his eyes however. It was a bit smaller than the wendigo cage which was the largest around by far, and the glass was much cleaner-looking than the rest, but what drew him was the fact that the box appeared empty. A strange feeling of dread and danger emanated from the box, and the morbid curiosity of it compelled him to walk closer to it and read the plaque:

Pale Shadow -- Presented by Azazel

Not for sale.

What seemed to just be an empty box now filled with smoke and the glass became dirtied by a charcoal like dust. There was no shape or form that Constantine could discern beneath the smoke, nothing except two large, round, sickeningly white eyes that stared unblinkingly at him. All it took was a singular moment for the light of those accursed eyes to permanently etch themselves into his soul. It was a damned, pallid light of death and oblivion, his very essence flooded with an overwhelming emptiness, a yawning void ripped open on the folds of his very heart. Constantine was immediately stricken by a nauseous, gut wrenching feeling just looking at it, and yet he could not turn away. The creature then opened its mouth, revealing black fangs mixed with a fleshy mouth adorned by the same empty color of its eyes. It laughed.

“Constantine!” Katherine said as quietly as she could, near him.

He awoke from the diseased trance and turned to her, the beast inside vanishing when he turned away.

“What? What’s wrong?” He asked, slowly walking up to her. Everything was a blur, a haze of uneasiness and dread that was only accentuated by what came next. Katherine didn’t respond, the answer he sought laying before him, staring back at him with her blue eye from behind the milky white glass.