Canto IX

Father Laguardia, awaken!

L: I cannot sleep, child.

Look upon the shore! See that the souls are arriving.

L: ... no, my son, tis not simply that.

(As I looked upon the shore, I saw one woman, with green scales and bright yellow eyes, but with brilliant scarlet hair. Her human tongue flicked outwards multiple times. Behind her, she dragged at least fifty souls. Many had bite marks. Others were missing entire limbs. They were all being dragged by the neck. Those closest to her were brutally whipped by the green tail she sported.)

L: Tis the demon Alecto, one of the three Erinyes. I shall try to converse with her... Alecto!

Alecto: *Grins* Hm... new blood.

L: Where are your other foul, wicked sisters?

Alecto: Foul? Wicked? You still use those words? It's a new era, Laguardia. 

(She dropped the lines of harnesses that kept the souls and they slid back into the water. I saw other souls coming up to feast on their unfortunate brethren.)

L: I don't see why not.

Alecto: You have the gall to talk semantics with me? Look at them.

*Souls screaming, other souls attacking them with hands and teeth, ripping off limbs*

Alecto: Ah, such a beautiful sight.

L: Alecto-

Alecto: But who is this? A mortal? In Hell? Are you a fool? From what I remember, YOU should be smart enough not to be here, either.

I-

L: Leave the talking to me, Riccardo.

Alecto: Pushy man. Pushy Purgatorial scum. Maybe I should sick my mistress on the lot of you.

L: You wouldn't.

Alecto: Wouldn't I? Here she comes now.

(I saw the woman emerging from the waters. Her hair was made of serpent and her entire lower half from midriff down was a large tail on which she slithered. Her eyes gazed downward, but I saw her begin to lift her head-)

L: Don't look, Riccardo!

Alecto: What are you afraid of? That he'll see what he is? What he will be? You afraid that she will do the job that Cerberus had failed at?

L: You know of Cerberus's plot?

Alecto: And Minos', and Charon's, and Plutus', and the plots of most of the ones below. It was all set up for you.

L: By who?

Alecto: You know who.

L: -Malacoda himself.

Alecto: Yes! Now let my mistress gaze into his soul and show him the light.

L: Look behind you.

Alecto: What- *screech*

(When Laguardia's shadowy hand had uncovered my eyes, both the demons were gone. However, a man who donned two steely wings directly climbed off a polished, grey ship and headed directly for the City of Dis. At one word, the gate opened. Then the angel looked at us. He motioned for us to follow. He then pulled out a stopwatch and said to us...)

Angel: Right on time. Now, if you two wish to enter this woeful place, be my guest. But time is running out, gentlemen.

(With that, he motioned for us to enter, and then he himself turned around and left on his ship.)

Father, who was that?

L: Someone who has more power than the vast majority of these cretins. But here we are. The City of Dis. The City of Heretics.