Dante Book 1 Canto IV Scene 1

 

Canto IV

The First Circle; Limbo

Scene 1

 

Dante woke up and hearing the loud thundering noise. He found himself on the ferry, among the other souls that were there on their journey to the Underworld. He reached for his chest vest and noticed that it was emptied of its content except for Virgil which was silently hidden inside. He then turned to look and saw the ferryman. The ferry was a narrowboat that resembled the ancient Viking boat, with the high helm carved with the image of Cerebus, the three-headed canine beasts of the Underworld.

It was Phelygas.

Dante joined the Ferryman at the stern. The latter was holding the long oar to steer the ferry.

“Stay down, living one. It's hard as it’s for me to steer on this fast-flowing water.” Phelygas called out while he moved the oar to the left to steer the ferry off on the new course. “The river is a nasty one; its water rapid like that of the wild winds, and the huge boulders in its track, makes one wonder if Hell does not like to invite the souls here.”

“I thought they have paid their passage.” Dante clung to the boat side while he sat next to Phelygas. He saw for himself the fast-flowing river as if in rage that was only seen in the scorn of a lady when in anger. The water splashed onto the ferry and made everyone seated there wet.

“What happened to me back there? I remember …”

“Virgil killed you. He made you die then. When you are dead, you get to be ferried across. I am doing what…is my task.” Phelygas sighed. “Virgil, Anneas, and some you will meet later there when we land. All of you are truly mad.”

Dante had then looked at the river. They were sailing at the edge of a waterfall to the deep abyss and the ferry was diagonal to the flow of the river. And it was not a river of water and there were souls that he saw in it, reaching out with their hands to the ferry.

“We are sailing across the river flow. That what makes these trips dangerous but needed. Only Charon knows the smoother sail path.” Phelygas told Dante when he saw the other looking at the flow.

“There are others…” Dante’s words were swallowed by the huge wave that swept the ferry over the bow. A few of its occupants were swept overboard.

“They…”

“They are swallowed by the river. It's the nature of the river to take some souls on every trip. It fills the river with their souls, hence the rage in it for the souls will be doomed here for eternity. That’s why you must cling to my legs so that you don’t get pulled off too.”

True to Phelygas’s words, the next wave came and Dante was covered by the water, or rather he felt hands tugging at him to pry him off the ferry. He had wrapped his arms around Phelygas’s left leg and prayed hard to survive the ordeal. The water was soon washed off and Dante was still on board.

“Bloody good, I was activated.” It was Virgil. “I gave them selfish souls a blast into their souls. The sonar works well in the water.”

Dante breathes in a sigh of relief and it was then Phelygas called out.

“We are here. Everyone to disembark.”

Here was a lifeless, or rather a dull place. It was a small jetty and there was nothing there, but the souls disembarked. It was a vast flat terrain with nothing of any interest except for a well-trodden path.

“Well, it ain’t the yellow brick road but takes it for it will lead you to Hell,” Phelygas told the souls there. “Your ride is over now.”

The remaining souls took the walk on the path to the flat horizon beyond, but not Dante.

“Where are we? Dante asked Phelygas.

“Fifth level of Hell, or rather the first circle of Hell. They called it Limbo. Don’t expect much and you will be fine.”

“Circle? First? What do I do here?” Dante asked.

“Find your love then. Consider it like the huge world you lived in before. You are now in the first spot of your adventure. Now proceed.” Phelygas said. “Virgil, wake up and guide him.”

Virgil activated and then replied.

“I can’t or rather won’t be able. I have not been here this far in the Underworld. Aeneas left me before the river trip. It’s all new to me here.”

“Then, the two of you ought to have ….some adventure then. I have to be off. My stopover is only temporary and like the two of you, I have not ventured beyond this point.” Phelygas then board the ferry and rowed off. Dante looked at the then hovering orb.

“What do you see?”

“Nothing. All emptiness.”

“Perhaps not.” That voice came from the right side of Dante. “Virgil, you took your time. I was thinking that you will not return after all.”

It was Aeneas.

Or rather the soul of Aeneas.

“Creator, you are here.” Virgil hovered over. Aeneas looked to Dante and then told him what was to happen.

“Virgil will be in…the passive mode while I will lead up from here. You may address me as Virgil as it was my mind that created the orb and now I am the orb mind. I will lead you to Limbo.”

“Wait! You made …--- no, it selected me here?” Dante asked.

“Yes, in a matter of logical selection based on your inquisitive mind but my selection was also influenced by the Empress. She asked for you. Her exact words were that you will find her in the next dimension. She believed in you and whatever you have with her will transpire through forever.” Aeneas replied. He appeared in the figure dressed in the plain frock and sandals as if he was at rest in his home at ancient Greece. Aeneas looked older than Dante; more into his eighties of age, and his hair on the top of his head was creamy white and the beard on his chin was unkempt. It was his eyes that kept Dante’s focus; sunken and staring with the gleam that only the inquisitive person will hold when in focus on a task.

“Honestly, I don’t understand that reasoning but many couples do and I am not one. I was never engaged in the realm of love.” Aeneas continued. “I am here to see for myself the new realm or dimension, but I died. Hence, my soul had my other plan in place and I was hoping it will work which it did. You are here now.”

“A living soul in the dimension called the Underworld.” Dante mumbled and then he asked.

“Is Beatrice dead?”

“Very much so in the other realm but here I am not sure here. You could find out.” Aeneas told Dante. “And do call me Virgil.”

“Shall we walk then, Dante? It’s a long walk but one worth taking. I was told we have to pass through nine circles where the sins of ours are punished.’