Circle Seven: Round One, The Violent Against Neighbors

After descending into lower Hell, Virgil and I encountered another creature. It was the Minotaur. I wasn't sure how we would get past it but I had faith in my guide, and I knew that my guide had faith in Heaven. Virgil began to mock the creature. It began to beat its hooves and trample the ground as it danced, blinded by its anger. My guide instructed me to run now while it was distracted. Everything I touched and everything I ran on seemed to shift under my weight. I wondered if Virgil had planned for this. I felt that one wrong step could send me falling. I would end up half broken upon some rocks while the furies came to feast on me.

The smell of flesh continued to permeate my nose as Virgil and I came upon a river of boiling blood. In this river, explained my guide, were those who struck down their fellow men. Along the banks of the river were centaurs. They were armed with arrows. Their sharp eyes darted between rocks, tufts of hair or flesh, and small ripples in the river. Father off, one could make out men's heads and some chests even. Any man submerged in the river who would try to free himself from the pain would be shot with an arrow. Three of the centaurs began moving toward us. I didn't want to feel one of those arrows in me. I didn't want to fall into the river and have my blood run and mix with hateful men. I settled uneasily on my other foot. Rocks shifted. They knew I was living.

Virgil, instead of being fearful of these creatures, ordered them to give us a guide. One named Nessus was given to us. We walked along the river until we only saw sinners submerged up to the ankle. I recognized many along the way.