Dark Silence

25 days (2)

The Portal looked like a huge stone case over 30 feet high. Inside of it, there was a purple mass that seemed to be a living creature. It constantly moved, turning into whirls, protruding small tentacles into the world, bursting with bubbles, and just throbbing never stopping. The demons could easily walk through it like through a door, but a human never could do this. The daredevils who decided to check “what if” were simply stepping through it or bumped into this substance like into a wall. Once, Darnell tried this too, and he turned to be lucky. His demonic part allowed him to get into the dark world.

Darnell came to a high metal fence that was surrounding a small territory around the Portal. After a case when a person fell across an arrogant demon, a decision to put a checkpoint and let only people with a pass from the Agency to it was made.

Darnell took the paper given to him by Ewing from a pocket and came to a booth near small gates. Behind the glass, a massive gargoyle dressed in a blue security uniform was sitting. He also wore a blue peaky cap that looked absurdly on his big square head. There were tiny glasses on his wide flat nose, and he was reading some book. Darnell came up to him and knocked at the glass. The guard stopped reading unwillingly and lifted the eyes at the intruder. He opened a small window and asked:

“What brings you here?”

Darnell gave him the paper trying not to blink too often. He suddenly started to feel like the world around him was arched, and only constant blinking made it look a little bit more normal. The gargoyle grabbed the paper with a big palm with four fingers and carefully unfolded it in front of him with two claws.

“What’s your business at the Portal?”

“I’m in,” babbled Darnell in response.

“What - in?” the gargoyle looked at Darnell from behind the paper.

“Business. In the Portal,” Darnell thrust his finger into the building.

“Yes, really, it is written here that you need to get into the Portal,” the gargoyle nodded, “I thought it’s just a formality, people can’t pass through it. Well, fine, go,” the guard pressed a button and a metal door near Darnell clicked and opened.

While he was entering, some demon pushed him away, but the man didn’t even pay attention. He made a few steps and stopped in front of the moving purple mass. Darnell closed his eyes and held his breath. He stepped inside the Portal hoping that he still has the ability to pass through. The viscous matter wrapped him and pulled ahead. The man seemed like it penetrated each cell of his body, touched his organs from inside, trying to turn him inside out. The stomach twirled painfully, and the joints started to ache. Darnell made another step and the Portal let him go on the other side. The man exhaled with relief and shook his head, opening his eyes. He made it.

The demon world greeted him with the crimson semidarkness, as always. In this universe, the sun wasn't lighting the sky, and dark low clouds were hanging gloomily above the city effusing dim light as if it was always evening. A small imp jumped from under Darnell’s feet and ran somewhere, carrying a big brick in its paws. It headed to some grotesque-looking building that was under construction. It was followed by another imp, and another one, and there were more of them, and Darnell stepped aside. Looked like he intruded into a working process. When he moved, a huge golem stepped over him, bestrewing him with dry clay. It was carrying a big block of stone and also headed to the construction. Darnell pulled his hood and hurried to go down the cobbled street. He was heading to his old meeting place. Darnell knew: as soon as he entered the demon world, his informant knew it and would come to that place too.

He confidently followed the well-known route that he could pass even with his eyes closed. Here was a big square with a fountain filled with a gleaming liquid, next - a building with two towers, and next - a road became wider and there were some ruins which no one ever cared to remove for so many years. Darnell suddenly understood that despite his medicine he felt himself much better than in his own world. His mind wasn’t beclouded, items around him didn’t start dancing in his eyes, and noise in his ears stopped. Even the heavy stuffy air filled with a spicy smell that was impossible to describe didn’t cause Darnell any discomfort. Looked like the effect of the pill was enough exactly for keeping his demon locked, but allowed to feel comfortable in this world.

Darnel walked keeping his head low. From under his hood, he sometimes noticed only someone’s feet, covered with fur, their hooves, ends of wings, and claws. In their own world, demons preferred to move at big distances through local portals or by flying. Many of them had wings, but they were basically used only for mobility, and in the human world demons liked to use them as decoration that made everyone feel envy. Darnell was also attracted to this demonic characteristic. He liked to discreetly admire Cyril’s wings, so big and shiny. He was disappointed with the fact that his demon didn’t give him wings, but on the other hand, he could be really unlucky. Demons differed in appearance, and wings were not only big black and leather, like Cyril had. Of course, some did get the wings covered with black feathers. They made people lose their heads associating their owner with a dark angel. But there also were demons with shameful crooked wings that reminded of chicken wings. Or they could be soft and pale-pink, covered with weird fluff that made everyone sick with a single view. Darnell giggled in a silly manner watching his step. He imagined how madly he would cut such wings off if he had gotten them. But, unfortunately, demons could change their appearance only via disguise: after amputation they quickly restored themselves.

Being deeply absorbed with his thoughts, Darnell reached his place of destination. There was a high arch in front of him with a black door in it, and it seemed that there was nothing behind it. Darnell grabbed the rusty door ring and pulled it. The door opened with a loud creak letting the man to steep stairs going down. He entered and closed the door behind him. He started to go down, feeling each next stair with his feet, and trying not to touch the dump walls covered with thin streams of some liquid. Darkness breathed into his face with a musty smell that can be felt in caves.

Darnell reached the end of the stairs and hardly found the handle by touch, pushing the door away. He plunged right into the rumpus of the demons entertaining in the public place which he visited today. The spacy chamber with arch vaulting reminded him of an ancient cellar of some castle where wine barrels were supposed to be stored. But instead of them, there were restless imps jumping on the tables, incubuses were winding themselves with long thin tails, and stinking harpies whom no one usually welcomes here were clapping their wings. A huge black spider with burning tiny eyes ran by Darnell to the exit, and he held the door to this creature, holding his breath. It screeched something with gratitude and pushed itself through the exit dissolving in the darkness of the stair. Darnell didn’t like even small home spiders, and such huge creatures struck him with horror that made him petrify, and his heart started to bump somewhere in his throat, trying to break free and run away from such nightmares.

He slammed the door and hurried into the depth of the bar, trying to pull his hood lower. He didn’t want either to look at the demons entertaining around him or attract their attention and fall victim to them. He wasn’t treated too nicely here due to his human origins, and now, when he was weak, a confrontation with anyone in the demon world could turn to be his last one.

He managed to reach a stone cracked counter with a web hanging from it which was covered with brownish moss. He leaned carefully to it thinking that this bar didn’t differ much from the bar “Night”, only the visitors didn’t care to behave. He waved his hand calling for a barman. A slim demon covered with a dark-green scale approached Darnell. He had a small bird beak instead of the mouth, and from all clothes, he only had a puffy white frill which made Darnell quite confused.

“What?” he grumbled when he came up to the visitor. He pointed at round bottles filled with black liquid that were standing on the shelves behind the demon. The demon sighed loudly, rolling his big emerald eyes, and gave Darnell his bottle, slamming it on the counter. “I say, can’t you take it by yourself?” he said in such a manner as if Darnell owed him for a long time and came to ask for a delay in payment.

The man grabbed the bottle and went to the furthest table which was luckily still free from noisy demons and spirits making a ruckus in the other chamber. He carefully sat at a creaking chair. Darnell placed a bottle in front of him and prepared to wait. His informant will surely come to him. As soon as he wishes to do this.

Darnell looked at the black oily liquid inside the tightly sealed bottle poured over with yellowish wax deep in his thoughts. This swill could be drunk only by demons, but he still once gulped it down for a bet - and burned his stomach down preparing to die in suffering. Only his ability to quickly restore from any injuries rescued him. But he had a reputation for this in this bar for a long time as the only mortal who survived after consuming the demonic drink.

Time passed slowly like a snail and made Darnell nervous. He started feeling irritated because he wanted to smoke, but demons never smoked, especially in their own world, so he couldn’t take out a pack here. And also he started feeling paranoid that the effect of his medicine was going to end any moment, and he didn’t know by himself what would happen after this. He was tapping his fingers, keeping hands on the table and rubbing his ring trying not to lift his head and not to look at the creatures around him. In the corner of his eye, he noticed that three succubuses gathered near the table next to his, and started to discuss quite loudly their recent achievements in the human world. Darnell carefully dove his hand into the pocket and checked time: he already spent an hour and a half in the demon world. The man ground his teeth and sighed angrily: his informant liked to make him wait.