“It was sometime in the years 300 maybe in the 400s.” Pride began. “Gets hard to remember exact dates. A few years after Lucifer found Envy and invited her to Hell.” She absentmindedly tapped the table as she tried to recall details. “I was doing what I always did…”
I stood rigid behind him. Nod a hair out of place. Standing still under the pretense that the slightest motion might disturb Lucifer. My vision of him was obscured by his large chair. I watched his hands as he quickly made notes. The quill dancing around the paper. He put it down with a sigh. Stretching his arms. His husky voice rang out into his office. “I have something I want to ask you?” He didn’t need to ask for an answer. He never had to with me. “What are your feelings on Vainglory?”
“I have no particular feeling, sire.” He sighed. I watched from behind him as he moved in his chair. Exactly what he was doing was a mystery.
“What about Apathy? Or the Leanan Sidhe?” He poked.
“I have no particular feelings for them, sire,” I said in my even voice. Lucifer let out a loud breath.
“Go retrieve Vainglory and Apathy.” I nodded and began walking out of the room. A sigh left his lips as the large doors closed behind her. I walked through the cold corridors of the 9th Circle. Frost coated the large windows that littered the outer walls. The cold ancient stones that lined the walls aged and cracked. My eyes drifted outside of the palace. Ice expanded out for as long as I could see. My eyes managed to catch glimpses of those frozen deep down. Trapped in an icy grave for eternity and never able to escape. The punishment for treachery. I moved my eyes away from the outside and focused back on the task at hand. Making my way to the sigil room.
After retrieving both Vainglory and Apathy they made their way through the winding halls. Vainglory was the first to speak. “What does Lucifer need?” She adjusted her stola as she walked. The luxurious tunic she wore framing her body.
“It is not my place to ask. If our lord believes I need to know something he will enlighten me.” I said with an even voice.
“Oh of course.” Vainglory put on a subtle smile. She walked closer to me. I grew awkward at her closeness. “We have similar sins, Pride. We’re practically sisters. If you don’t want Apathy to hear I’ll make him walk further away.” She said in a melodic voice. She moved to put her arm around me. I dodged and continued walking.
I stared blankly back at Vainglory out of the corner of my eye. “Our lord has given me no information regarding the purpose of the meeting.” Vainglory sighed. My eyes drifted to Apathy. I examined his body. “If you are going to possess humans at least take care of their bodies. Especially if you bring them to Hell. At the very least adjust your toga. It will not take any disrespect of Lucifer’s time and presence by you again.” Apathy sighed before adjusting the loose garment.
They eventually made it to Lucifer’s office. I knocked. “Come in.” Lucifer’s firm voice rang out into the hall. I opened the door. The two other demons going ahead and entering. I closed the door with a soft thud before returning to my place behind Lucifer. I noticed his golden eyes shined with a subtle annoyance when they met mine. I’m terribly sorry about Apathy’s appearance, my lord. I wanted to say. I’ll just wait for the meeting to be over.
I took my place behind him without a sound. Both Vainglory and Apathy bowed. “Rise,” His elegant cold voice rang out. I saw his reflection in one of the large windows that stretched to the ceiling. His amber eyes burned into the two of them. What did they do? I’m their leader. It will reflect on me. A tightness washed over me. “As of this moment, both of you are expelled from your palaces and no longer princes.”
I observed Vainglory go through a number of emotions. Shock, then anger, then moving to stunned silence. She stuttered out. “And our place among the sins?”
“Pride will take over your territory and duties.” Lucifer motioned to Apathy. Who stood despondent as always. Fidgeting as he stood. “Sloth has agreed to take over Apathy’s work.” Pride watched from behind Lucifer as Vainglory shook.
“Why?” Vainglory bit her lip.
“How dare you que-” I roared stepping forward.
“Pride,” Lucifer Sighed. Raising his elegant hand in the air to silence her. “Simply put you two aren’t needed. Why are we punishing humans who sinned with vainglory and apathy in different locations than pride and sloth? It would be much easier for those in assignment to not have to go to that level of specifics.” He stood up from her chair. Walking to a window overseeing his circle. Staring down at humans encased in ice. The glass fogged by the cold. “The human population has been increasing. They are getting smarter,” He spat. “Death is preparing for the worst. She doesn’t want to have to suddenly increase efforts when it gets to be too much. She is already changing the way they transcribe lives.” He sighed. “They are much less detailed. In the coming centuries, it may be hard to understand who has committed the sin of apathy or sloth. We must prepare as well.” He placed his arms elegantly behind his back. His eyes stared out just as cold as the outside.
Vainglory seethed. “Because of this, you’ll leave us with nothing.” Her hands balled into fists.
“Not nothing. You will be joining the deal division. You may both keep your names as sins. However, they will hold no power. If you think you want to keep them still it’s up to you.” He clicked his tongue before returning to his desk.
Vainglory’s clothes balled in her fists. “And Pride approved of this. She is… was our leader.” Lucifer gave a short bitter chuckle.
“You don’t need to ask that question, do you?”
“No,” She spat bitterly. “I don’t.” She turned on her heels. She stomped her way out of the room. Opening the large wooden doors that closed behind her with a thud. Lucifer turned to Apathy.
“Any questions?” He shook his head before hesitantly walking out of the room.
With them out Lucifer seemed to relax slightly in his chair. With a sigh, he motioned me closer. “Get everything set up for a memory wipe spell. She will be renamed Envy. I want her to join as soon as possible.”
“Of course, sir.” I walked out of the room.
“Vainglory and Apathy did their jobs perfectly,” Pride stated. She folded her hands on the table. “We received a steady influx of souls from them. The majority from Vainglory. In between the two incidents, she renamed herself to Vanity. No one else held that sin so we didn’t stop her. Probably should have since it seems she made a hobby of grabbing for power. The day I was sent to Heaven I was doing work around Hell.”
I stood outside Sloth’s palace in the 6th Circle. The heat from the flaming pits lapped at my body's feet. The screams rang out into the air. At least the 9th is quiet. I thought as I entered Sloth’s palace. I flipped around the letter she had sent me in my hands. It wasn’t in her handwriting but not many things were. Most of her documents were made by her telling her underlings what to write. I adjusted the tie of my suit as I walked. The fallen angels Sloth employed meandered about the halls. Everything became quiet and empty when I got close to her office. I moved to knock on the door when a hand grasped my arm. The eyes of the body Vanity was possessing met mine. Vanity was wearing a male human. Quite rare for her. She tended for female hosts. A dark cloak covered her body. Did Vanity not get the memo to wear modern clothing?
“Sloth is in one of those moods of hers. She told me what to tell you,” Vanity said hushed. “Let’s get away from her office. Don’t want to wake her.” She winked. I was led through winding corridors to a room. She motioned me in. My body’s eyes adjusted to the dark as I tried to turn around to look at Vanity. Finding that my feet were stuck to the ground.
“What is the meaning of this?” My eyes adjusted to the dark. The room and its details become clear. A female body was slumped against the walls. I looked into it. Whatever human used to live in it was long gone. The soul stomped out by long term possession. I glanced behind my shoulder as the body Vanity was in convulsed. Back smoke falling from his lips. Vanity stopped her possession of him. Exiting his body as it fell to the ground. The black smoke of a demon’s soul without physical form entered the woman. The body convulsed before standing up. Vanity shook her head as the blonde locks fell from her face. She smoothed her clothes and hair before returning her focus to me. The male body she was in weakly rose from the ground.
She motioned with her head at him. “You know what to do.” He shook as he reached into the cloak. A bible emerging. My eyes burned into Vanity. “This has been thousands of years in the making, Pride.” She clicked her tongue. The human’s cloak fell from him to the ground. He’s a priest. The realization of what was happening dawned on me. “Oh, if you could know how much I’ve been looking forward to this. The amount of planning!” She threw out her arms. Glee on her face. “Hell, I had to get a priest in my corner. You know how hard that is.” She patted his head. He looked horrified at her closeness. She turned her attention to me. She stood on the edge of the sigil which trapped me. She weaved magic forcing me to meet her eyes. “At first I figured that I would just y' know splash with holy water then go on about my day. Wait for everyone to realize you were gone. But no, no! That would be too good for you. A relatively quick but painful death as your soul burned inside your body. Then I got to thinking. I could do a two for one! Not only could I kill the right hand of Lucifer. I could make demonic history! Think about it, the first demon to use a last rite to kill another demon. Through a priest of course but still!” Vanity’s voice radiated glee as the priest got to work.
“Lucifer will find out!” I hissed. The words of the priest's prayer burned in my ears.
“Oh, I know and don’t really care. I’m the only other demon with a similar sin so I’m the only other demon who could fill your job. But let’s explore all options! If he does decide to kill me I’ll still have killed you. It’s a win-win situation!”
“You don’t care about dying.” I spat out in pain.
“Of course not.” Vanity used a fake doting voice. “Either way killing you is worth doing.”
“Really?” I managed to get as the prayer burned my body. It took effort for me to use a mocking tone. But it was worth it.
“We have, no had, you stole my old sin from me,” She said bitterly. “We had a similar sin. You know exactly what I feel. The hunger for what we desire. Yours is sated by work for Lucifer. But you took my food from me. You know exactly how I’m feeling. So you know what lengths I will go to. Do you know why?” She asked. My refusal to answer angered her further. She flashed a spell in her hand, the sigil’s spell ending. I tried to move but my soul had grown weak from the holy magic. I could barely move my body. She grabbed me.
“You stole every single ounce of respect anyone had for me! All you had to do was disagree with Lucifer for once in your sad excuse of an existence. But no, you have to agree with every single little thing! For once think of someone else other than him! Think about much I have had to change myself? I had to dumb myself down to keep any semblance of power! But look where you are now... And where I am!” Her hands clenched against my throat. She smiled with fire in her eyes as she moved a hand to my face. Forcing my mouth open she placed a cracker in and poured wine atop it. She forced my mouth closed. I didn’t need to breathe. I knew this but the human body reflexively swallowed. “Finish it!” She gave me one last look. Centuries upon centuries of built-up hatred finally culminating in her victory. Vanity couldn’t have been more ecstatic. “Have fun in Heaven!"
“Next thing I knew I was in Heaven,” Pride stated. “The angels must have seen when I entered that I was a demon. I was thrown into a soul cage. Then thrown in their demon prison. Which is a sea of holy water," She said looking at Rose. "I was told to expect my execution eventually. That didn’t happen as you can see.” She gestured to herself before her hands fell weakly back to the table.
“So where do we go from here?” Envy sighed.
“We,” Pride mocked. “All I needed from you is Conquest’s location. Wrath has War and she can get Famine’s location from Gluttony. I’ll deal with Death when that becomes a problem. All I needed from the two of you were their details. That’s all.”
“If the connection is made with you and Wrath then Wrath coming to see me is going to get me involved. I’m not going to wait around for that problem. Right, Wrath?” Envy looked to Wrath for agreement. However, it seemed none would come.
Wrath was hunched over the table. Her head in her hands. Her face scrunched in thought. The gravity of the situation she was one was weighing heavily on her. She’d be severely punished for helping Pride this much. If she took the folder that sat on the table and ran the pictures would get out. Ruining her reputation she had built possibly leading to an uprising. Going to Lucifer was an option, sure. However, Pride would most likely be executed and someone would need to take her place. The only option being Vanity. Power grabs were common and Lucifer may not care about what Vanity did. A multitude of expletives ran through her brain. “Right,” She gagged out. Despising the words. “The three of us.” Rose looked traumatized. “Yes, you are involved in this now.” She looked stunned. “Oh please, you sold your soul. Don’t act like you don’t want to get involved in demonic shit.” She turned her gaze to Pride. “We are helping you whether or not we actually want to.” Wrath slid Conquest’s file across the table and to Pride. “Let’s find the bastard!”
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