Thursday, 19th March
8:49am

(Death's Pov)
"Seriously? you're sending me with her?" I questioned, pointing at Akire.

Currently, both me and the witchdoctor were standing in Aristomache's study with said demon queen of Hell. Called in at stupid o'clock on my day off only to wait a few hours before having Aristomache send the two of us to one of Hell's many rings to collect something from an old crappy witchdoctor who can't be bothered to leave the fucking ring and deliver the item herself.

"There is a very rare plant that only grows in the heart of the Greed Ring, a ring of Hell Akire can easily guide through" Aristomache stated "Euanthe plans on breeding the plant in order to keep it from extinction and Xquenda is being generous enough for me to send someone to go retrieve the plant for no cost so yes, I am sending you with Akire to the Greed Ring" Aristomache continued as I folded my arms. "I rather have my leg cut off" "That can be easily arranged" Aristomache responded, immediately summoning her big-ass scary scythe and by the intimidating looks of it, it made my bones turn cold "D-don't... please- it was just a joke" I stuttered, lying as I took a step back. Flashes of memory blasting through my head of what Aristomache alone had done to my right hand and neck "I-I'll go with Shards to get the plant" "Good, be sure to be back by the end of the day" Aristomache stated, scythe disappearing as both me and Akire left the room, making our way down the corridor. "You were really scared back there, weren't you?" Akire smirked, holding back a laugh as I glared at her "You'd knew that the 'big bad Death' was actually afraid of the queen-" "Have you ever been consciously dismembered by the Queen of Hell before?" I spat as Akire's face dropped a bit whilst she raised a brow "Well I have" I stated, showing Akire my robotic arm "And it's not exactly painless and pretty" I told her. "Would've been cool to watch though" Akire stated as I rolled my eyes. The witchdoctor then dug into her bag before pulling out an old worn out black jacket that had a few red-painted symbols on one of the sleeves. She handed it to me "Why-" "You gotta look the part if you're going down to a different ring" Akire stated as I somewhat hesitantly took the jacket and put it on.

9:29am
Me and Akire stepped into the elevator with a couple other people before the doors closed "Elevator nine departing level one, Pride, for level five, Greed" the elevator's intercom announced before I felt the elevator shift a bit before starting to lower.

The Hell elevators always looks like a barge metal-rectangular box yet around the sides and doors is a long continuing window wrapped around the elevator, giving the demons and devils inside the perfect view out into each level of Hell. Eventually, one of those 'views' was of the Greed Ring.

"Death... welcome to the Greed ring" Akire smiled proudly as the lowering elevator overlooked an underground neoned rebel city of green, black and yellow. The elevator soon stopped "Level five, Greed" the doors opened, I could immediately smell smoke mixed with herbs and spices consuming the air within the elevator. People walked out of the elevator as a few people stepped into it as I heard the elevator's intercom announce the next floor it was heading to "Elevator nine departing level five, Greed, for level six, Lust" I immediately got off the elevator, stepping onto the cracked old concrete street, turning around and watching the door just close before lowering down to the next Hell Ring. "Hey ripper, this way" Akire called as I turned around, following after her. As we walked down the street, we passed different stalls setted up advertising almost rotten-looking food, jewellery, weapons. There were a few people sitting in the gutters begging, people sharping others' weapons, cooks preparing unsatisfying meals. I looked around at everything lit up by the toxic green and yellow glow of the lights, before I looked up at the ceiling-like sky where most of the houses and shops reached, built on top of each other with different mix-matched levels. I turned around as I glimpsed at every stall, at some point we even walked past an outdoor tattoo stall. Akire was right about having a quick 'outfit change' before coming down here... everyone was dressed in steampunk-doomsday-like clothes, as if whatever they found 'wearable' they wore. "So? What do you think?" Akire asked "It's so... different-" I froze after I looked at Akire... her eyes where glowing bright purple and green "Why... eyes-" "Yeah, same back at ya" Akire laughed a bit as I immediately looked at my reflection in a random store window, seeing my non-robotic eye glowing bright crimson red. "Don't worry, it's a completely normal thing that happens when you're in a different sin ring" Akire told me... I didn't know about that, is that how they knew I- "Hey, slow poke" I flinched a bit, turning back to Akire "You wanna get lost down here?" she questioned, I immediately shook my head as she rolled her eyes "Then stop getting distracted" she told me before continuing to walk.

I rushed after her, soon stopping at a staircase leading up to each mix-matched levels of the ring "Come on, this way" Akire said, quickly walking up a few steps onto the next level before turning around and looking down at me, seeing me frozen at the bottom, worry painted across my face. Akire raised a brow "You alright?" she asked, leaning against the wall as my eyes snapped up to her "Y-yeah, I'm fine" I lied, walking up the stairs onto the new level as she turned back around and started walking again "This is the Greed Wing, the worst someone could do to you here is 'curse' you or steal something outta your pocket" Akire told me before turning her head to me. "Unless... you're scared and you've never been to another Ring before" she suggested as I glared at her "I've been to other Hell Rings before" "Right... and what rings were those-" "None of ya business" I snapped.

It took a while to climb several staircases up to one of the highest levels of the Greed Ring. We walked along the level's balcony until we stopped outside an old wiccan shop called 'The Lucky Frog'. I raised a brow "You sure this is it?" I questioned Akire yet the witchdoctor had already walked into the shop. I quickly followed in after her, immediately stopping dead as I came face to literal face with another witchdoctor.

She had blackened brown dreadlocks somewhat kept back with a purple worn out bandana, she had warm beige skin covered in dark brown tribal tattoos, eyes that were literal right green and purple swirled... like anyolite crystals and hanging around her neck was an anyolite crystal accompanied by several other rusty gold necklaces and bracelets, feathered earrings and gold and bronze rings on her fingers. She wore a black corset with white old laces, a long purple steampunk-like skirt somewhat revealing both her black leggings and boots worn underneath, pale orange had been wrapped around her waist and held there with two old belts.

"Xquenda Syder, it's great to see you again" Akire brightly smiled as Xquenda narrowed her eyes at me "You too my dear Shards" the woman exclaimed whist she circled around me, looking me up and down "The Toflieet is sitting over on the counter" I glanced over at the counter to see a beautiful purple-green gradient flower in a plastic container. "Ripper demon, punished with dismemberment... obviously wrath sinned" Xquenda stated "I assume you got a little more to grow... gambling boy who likes to drink..." the witchdoctor as I raised a brow, confused about why she was reading me 'like a book'. She gently took my left hand in her own, her fingers lightly brushing over my wrist and stopping directly on a vein and freezing in her place "A fallen angel... the last hope for your heart" Xquenda stated as I glared at her, ripping my hand out of her own. The woman blinked a few times "Sorry, old broken habbit" Xquenda apologised, stepping back away from me "Nice to finally meet you, Death" she smiled "Nice to meet you too..." I replied back, now very warry of Xquenda. Suddenly, there was a loud crash outside "You two have to go, now" Xquenda stated, worry twisted within her voice, warning us to be worried as well. Akire shoved the box containing the flower into her bag before her and I rushed out of the door, looking down to the left end of the balcony two see two red-cloaked people wearing bloodied white masks "Killens" Akire breathed before I grabbed the collar of her jacket and pushed her to start running the other way "Hey!" one of the killens yelled, both of them now running after us. "We need to get back to the elevator-" "Elevator nine is too far away" Akire interrupted me before both of us ducked our heads to dodge knifes now being thrown at us "Akire!" "Alright!... go right" the two of us bolted down an ally and once halfway through the ally, Akire summoned her staff, it glowed a pale red before she slammed the end of it into the wall beside her. Large bulks of the wall fell down, blocking off the ally yet the killens still managed to get over it.

We ran out onto a new street "Right" Akire told me, we turned onto another street "Left" turned back down an ally, killens now just barely behind us "They're gonna catch us- the next staircase isn't for another few streets" Akire stated as I looked ahead at the balcony... getting probably the worst idea "Ever travelled like mummies before?" I questioned as Akire raised a brow "What-" "Follow my lead" I told her, running just a bit faster than her. Akire's eyes widened a bit "Death, that isn't a street or ally-" "When I say jump, jump" I told her as we continued to run towards the edge of the balcony. "Jump!" we both jumped up onto the railing and off the balcony of one of the highest levels of the Greed Ring, landing on an adjacent balcony a few levels down. I looked up at the killens, seeing them prepare to jump. "Keep running, straight ahead" I told Akire as we both started running through another ally. We continued cutting through streets and allys, jumping from balcony to balcony, getting lower until we were finally on ground level before bolting through the crowded streets until we reached another elevator, stumbling in just as the doors closed. "Elevator thirteen departing level five, Greed, for level one, Pride" the elevator's intercom announced before shifting a bit and lifting itself up as both me and Akire tried to get our breath back "I'm... fucking killing you... next time" Akire breathed, checking her bag and signing in relief after seeing she still had the flower. "Why were they after us?" "That" I answered, pointing at the flower "Guessing the cult is after it as well as the royal family" I looked out the window, watching the Greed Ring slowly disappear beneath us "So the Killen Cult is really back?" Akire questioned, finally had caught her breath back "Seems like it" I answered.