Before Dante and Virgil continue on their journey, Dante collects the fallen leaves and arranges them around the tree he spoke with.

Just beyond the forest lies a desert bombarded by rains of fire. Staring across the broiling waste, Dante suggests that Cato may have traveled through this place before. They soon come across the blasphemers, and Virgil angrily confronts Capaneus, likening his fiery rage to the hot sand. As they walk, they notice a red-colored stream running through the sand. Virgil explains to Dante that this stream extinguishes all flames. As the pair walk on, Virgil shares with Dante more about the ancient history of the lands they traverse, including details about the rivers Lethe and Phlegethon.