Notes: Here we're chapter 2, fair warning this one will be a bit of an exposition dump. You know some world building, introducing some characters, blah blah. You know how this goes. As always please remember to let me know what you think in the reviews, it really helps with the process, and lets me know you're interested.
This story was proof read by MartunaMajor.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Darksiders. Also this work contains religious symbolism, but it meant as a work of fiction, and does not represent my religious views.
Judgment Chapter 2: The Council of Sin
Kingdom of Man: Shade City, Kingdom of Vacuo
A bell chimed, but it was not the resounding ring of a great bell heralding the end of days. Instead it was something of far more humble nature. This bell only promised the arrival of a new customer in a small café in downtown Shade.
Hearing the familiar chime, a young woman with short red hair who was running the register turned to eye the new arrival. There standing at the door was a young man in maybe his mid twenties with short blond hair and blue eyes. He was a soldier by the look of him, the grey urban camouflage being a dead giveaway. The sight of a uniformed soldier didn't surprise her of course. After all, there was a military base not far outside of the city limits and as such its rank and file had become a normal sight around here.
The woman also noticed the soldier's sidearm strapped to his waist. That was a slightly less common sight since the soldiers would usually dress down when they were off duty. You know, to at least try to act like civilians for a little while. Unfortunately, due a recent spike in terrorist activity from not only the surrounding territories, but from within the city itself, the base had been on high alert for activity lately. Of course the woman was well aware of this and so she was not shaken by his appearance.
"Welcome." The woman greeted as she shot the uniformed man a warm smile.
"Hello, good afternoon." The man said in return as he approached the front to take a seat at a table near the front.
"What can I get you?" The woman asked as she leaned forward over the counter.
"Espresso." He replied automatically before letting out a soft yawn which was promptly followed by a small sigh. Taking a second to shake out the cobwebs he added. "Better make it a double."
The woman gave a nod before she turned away and went to work brewing the soldier's coffee. While doing so she absentmindedly asked. "Having a rough day?"
The man let out a weak laugh before replying. "More like a rough year. It's not bad enough those White Fang fanatics are running wild all over the kingdom, but the more domestic criminal elements seem to be on the rise as well. You know when I enlisted I thought I would be off liberating foreign lands from radical dictators, not fighting psychos on native soil, especially on a daily basis." He complained.
The woman gave a sad nod. "Yeah, just the state of the world we live in I suppose. Just don't go thinking us civilians aren't thankful for everything you guys do for us." She said as she turned around with a steaming beverage in hand and walking around the counter to place it on the table in front of the man. "Here you are, one double espresso, on the house." Hearing the last bit the soldier looked up at the woman with one eyebrow rose. "Thank you for your service." The woman added with a wink.
The man smiled widely, either overjoyed at the prospect of free coffee, or the recognition for his efforts. In truth it was more a mix of both. "Thanks, you too." He said before he raised the cup to his lips only pausing a moment to admire the rich aroma then he began to down his drink greedily. "Ah, now that is what I'm talking about."
The woman giggled as she stepped away back towards the register. "Glad you like it, let me know if you want anything else." The man looked like he was about to say something to that, but the woman beat him too it. "No more freebees though, I do have a business to run after all."
"That's fair enough." The man replied as he shrugged and continued to enjoy his hot beverage.
After a moment of peaceful silence fellow over the two that lasted for about five minutes, the woman spoke up once again. "You got a name soldier boy?"
"Jaune Arc, short and sweet, rolls right off the tongue. The ladies love it." He declared, causing the woman to give him a pointed look. Then after a moment he added. "At least that's what my mom used to always tell me."
The woman laughed. "I bet she does. It is a nice name."
"How about you, you got one? A name I mean." Jaune asked, cursing his less than smooth delivery.
The woman didn't seem bothered by it if her bright smile was any indication. "Yeah, I'm Arte-" The woman was cut off in the middle of her introduction by the sound of rumbling in the distance. A steady hum that was growing louder and louder as loose objects around the café began to rattle. "What, what is going on!?"
"Is this an earthquake!?" Jaune said as he rushed to his feet. Then he looked towards the panicked woman in front of him and his training kicked in. "Get under the counter! Stay clear of the windows and don't move until the shaking stops!" He instructed.
The woman saw no reason to argue so she quickly ducked beneath her counter and placed her hands over her head. It was then that she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Jaune's feet had begun to move towards the entrance. "Wait Jaune, what're you doing!?" She called out to him, a mix of fear and confusion evident in her tone.
"I got to go check this out! Just stay where you are!" Jaune shouted back, ignoring both the woman's complaints and his own advice as he carefully stepped out through the shop's main entrance and into the city streets.
As the tremors continued to increase in intensity, leaving the café was a choice that Jaune was quickly starting to second guess. It was hard for him to just stay up right, but something about this shaking felt off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was this feeling in his gut, a feeling he couldn't describe that told him something was wrong. He just didn't know what it was until he saw it.
The sound of screams came first alerting Jaune, the next his eyes were drawn upward towards the sky. Looming over the horizon he saw a massive ball of red hot flame, at first it almost looked like a second sun had appeared. However upon closer inspection he realized that it was moving, growing larger, meaning it was approaching and at the rate of the growth, it had to be at a rather alarming rate. He thought it might be a meteorite, but the ark that its flight path was following seemed far too unnatural. It was almost as if it were alive and moving of its own accord. It was also travelling in a low ark, far too low for his comfort since it nearly clipped a high rise build as it passed.
Before long the fireball had whizzed over Jaune's head. Even a mile above him he could still feel the heat radiating off of the fireball and he realized that it was moving even more quickly than he thought. It had to be traveling faster than the speed of sound and the sonic boom that followed in its wake shattered the windows of every building in sight causing shards of glass to rain down onto the streets below.
Jaune gripped his ears in hopes it would drown out the ringing as he ran to dive under his parked humvee to avoid the raining glass. "This is fucking crazy!" He hissed once he had made it to cover. His heart was beating a mile a minute at this point and it was all he could do to watch in horror as the ball of fire disappeared in the direction of the shore. A moment later and he heard a mighty crash. A massive pillar of water and vaporized mist shot up into the sky soon after.
"Oh shit, we have impact! I have to call this in!" Jaune declared before he rolled out from under his vehicle and tried to pull himself back up onto his unsteady legs. Luckily the shaking was starting to subside making the task far easier to manage.
Once on his feet, Jaune quickly pulled open the door to his humvee and was going for the radio when the voice of the café owner entered his ears. "What was that!?"
Jaune spun around to see the distressed woman standing in the doorway of her café bracing herself against the door frame for support. "A meteor strike I think! I need to call my superiors at the base! There might be civilians down there in need of help!"
"What should I do!?" The woman asked.
"Stay inside and stay in cover! There could be aftershocks!" Jaune shouted in reply before he pulled the radio off the receiver. "This is Private Jaune Arc reporting in!"
'What a wild ride that was! It has been far too long since I've been able to cut loose like this!' The horsemen of War, Yang Xiao Long thought to herself as her and her trusty red steed Bumblebee sunk into the depths of the Vacuo Sea.
Yang had touched down about a mile out from the shore, an intentional move by her. She had considered aiming for the center of the city to kick things off with a big bang, but decided against it. The impact would've killed far too many people. Not that she had an issue with that in and of itself, but it wouldn't have been very sporting. Besides, it took away far too much of the fun if she didn't get to do the deed with her own two hands.
After Yang and her mount righted themselves under the water, Yang pulled on the reins to direct her steed upwards and towards the city. However, Bumblebee only shook her steaming mane in discomfort and huffed in muffled complaint. Yang understood what was bothering her even if they couldn't speak. Not because of any mystical connection, but simply because she was currently experiencing the same discomfort. After all when your hair is basically made of fire, water isn't the most welcoming of elements.
Even now while Yang was completely submerged in water, her hair still burned. The flames born of her demonic heritage were simply too great to be snuffed out so easily. Though they did lose much of their heat and luster leaving the golden blonde locks that were hidden beneath them on full display. Bumblebee however, had no natural hair. Only the ghostly red flames and the magic that kept them burning wasn't as strong as Yang's.
Still the sooner they made it to the shore, the sooner they could dry off and rid themselves of this blight. So Yang yanked on the reins again, this time a bit more forcefully. After a moment's hesitation Bumblebee finally obliged, kicking her hooves rapidly to propel them through the water. From there Yang rode just under the water's surface to avoid detection until her mount's hooves had touched down on a sandy slope that she assumed lead up to a beach front.
Yang smiled widely as she climbed inland, knowing that she was finally going to have some real fun. When her head breached the water's surface a great plume of steam rose up with her. The moment her body had touched the open air the heat from it vaporized the water that still clung to her. Then with a quick shake of her head, her golden mane sparked before reigniting.
"Ah, all dry now. That's much better." Yang mused.
Even though Yang had a slight distaste for water, she did still love the beach. The sun, the surf, and of course there was the eye candy. All of these things were just so inviting. The beach was always warm, always so peaceful, and because of that it always had so many innocent souls ripe for the picking. Yang's musings were interrupted by the sound of movement and a several screams coming from nearby.
"Wh-what is that?! Is that a horse!?" A panicked woman screamed.
"Dude her hair's on fire!" A man shouted.
"The horse's hair is on fire two bro, it's a monster. They're both fucking monsters dude!" Another male voice shouted in return.
"What does it want?! Make it go away!" A woman demanded.
"I-I got this, so everyone just stay calm!" Another male voice declared.
Hearing all of this, Yang shifted her gaze along the beachfront until her eyes came upon a young man steadily approaching her. The man had slightly tanned skin, dark brown hair, looked to be in his mid thirties, and was also physically well built. At least as far as muscle structure was concerned. This was apparent because the man was also very sparsely clothed, only dressed in a pair of sandals and swim trunks, the latter of which left little to the imagination. The sight of this caused Yang's smile to sharpen at its edges before she checked the eye candy box in her head.
"Look ma'am, I don't know if you're some sort of cosplayer or what, but no animals are allowed on the beach, especially horses. Also in case you haven't noticed, this isn't the time to be playing jokes, so unless you've come here to help with this crisis I'll have to ask you to leave!" The tanned man declared.
"Crisis?" Yang asked as she looked down at the man with an eyebrow raised in question. She hadn't even done anything yet, so how could there be a crisis already.
The man gave Yang an odd look before he motioned to the beach around them. Yang followed his direction to see another man a few feet away that appeared to be in the middle of resuscitating a fallen woman. The woman in question was sprawled out on the sand and was looking more than a little pale. She had dark hair and was also dressed in swimwear. The woman was quite attractive as well, or at least Yang thought she was. It didn't seem like her pale complexion was as natural for her as it was for her sister and the bikini she wore was in tatters.
For a moment Yang wondered what could've happened to the woman, but a quick glance around the rest of the beach was all the answer she needed. Despite her earlier efforts to minimize her damage, she must've still landed too close to the shore. The impact likely created some sort of tidal wave. Well that or at least something akin to it, Yang wasn't an expert when it came to this type of stuff. Anyway if it was a wave it would've had to be a rather large one, at least if the state of the beach was anything to go on.
For lack of a better word, the beach was a complete disaster. It was littered with torn picnic blankets, broken parasols, twisted lawn chairs, deflated pool floaties of every shape and size, and last but not least there were several more human bodies sprawled about. Some of the people were still living and moving about, but many others were less fortunate. They were either laid out on the beach, buried in debris, or still floating in the water.
"Oh." Yang finally said realizing her misstep. She considered it a bit of a waste to have lost the chance to reap their souls herself, but at least it seemed unlikely that any of the fallen were warriors. If they were, they wouldn't have been taken out so easily in the first place. They also wouldn't have survived what is to come anyway, that thought gave her some comfort at least.
"H-hey I'm t-talking to you!" Yang heard the man speak up again, this time only from a few feet in front of her.
"Hmm, what was that human?" Yang asked in a disinterested tone as she looked down to meet the human's eyes.
"T-that isn't a c-costume is it?" The man asked once he got close enough to get a better look at Yang and her mount. Realization dawning on him he quickly took a step back and spoke again. "T-he meteor, the one that just fell out the sky, do you know something about that!? Are you the one responsible for this!?" He questioned. At this point several other people had noticed the commotion and had begun to gather. Yang could hear them whispering among themselves now.
Yang shrugged before replying. "What if I did, are you going to do something about it?" She asked in a challenging tone, her hair flaring up with each word. She could only imagine that this human was crazy to talk to her like that.
The human seemed to sense Yang's anger because he along with the rest of the crowd fell silent and Yang could see a beat of sweat run down the man's face. It was also then that she noticed something else about them that she had missed before. There was a tiny silver object hanging from their neck. Yang had to squint to see the small object properly and when she did, she realized that it was a whistle.
Yang was perplexed for a moment, she couldn't understand why somebody would be wearing something like a whistle at the beach, but then she recalled something she had heard once before. Beaches in the Kingdom of Man something called a life guard. Supposedly these lifeguards were tasked with the protection of the beach goers, and because of this, they often carried something to get the people's attention in an emergency. Yang supposes that a whistle would certainly do the trick.
"Oh, I see. My apologies human, I didn't realize you were the guardian of this place." Yang said in mock apology before her hand steadily reached up to grip the hilt of her sword. "Since you are a fellow warrior I suppose I you owe you a proper introduction. I am Yang Xiao Long, rider of the red horse. Though that's a bit of a mouthful, so for today you can just call me War." She said while adding a playful wink and pulling her broadsword free from its scabbard. "Now with that out of the way, I officially accept your challenge."
Hearing Yang's slightly odd response, it was the man's turn to look perplexed. Uncertain of what else to do he turned to the other beach goes that currently forming a loose circle several feet away, likely not wanting to get too close to the crazy flaming woman with the sword the size of a surfboard. The man couldn't say he blamed them since he was starting to question his own life choices. To his dismay however, none of the onlookers seemed anymore sure of this situation than he was.
Having nothing else to do, the man thought to just ask the person in question for clarification. "I'm sorry, you accept my whahhhhh!" The man didn't get to finish his question since about half way into it Yang let out a mighty battle cry and charged towards him.
The man tried to react, but Yang moved with speed that defied reason, and by the time his brain's warning had reached his muscles, he had already been run straight through the chest by Yang's blade. The man's bulky form had offered him no protection against the wicked steel of Yang's sword and once impaled he was left to dangle on the end of the blade, gasping for breath that his punctured lungs could not hope to hold.
As Yang watched the man's wide panicked eyes fade to a dull grey, her own expression turned to disappointment. "What, is that all you've got? I'm afraid that's just not going to 'cut it' my friend." Then she began to giggle at her own joke before flicking her blade to the side to dislodge the body, letting it fall limp in the sand.
Meanwhile all of the people that had gathered moments ago were now desperately trying to put space between themselves and the monster that had just killed the lifeguard, without drawing her attention. Yang had to applaud their collective instincts for that. Normally there would be at least one person to scream before making a break for it. Of course their stealthy retreat still hadn't gone unnoticed by Bumblebee and Yang's fateful companion let out a huff to warn her as much.
"Huh, what is it girl?" Yang asked causing Bumblebee to huff again before pointing a hoof in the direction of a few fleeing people. Yang just rolled her eyes before rubbing her mounts fiery mane. "Don't worry about them girl, their just guppies, we're after the big fish today."
Bumblebee huffed again before bucking slightly to show her displeasure. Yang just laughed it off. "Yeah, yeah I know! Kill everyone that runs! That's what the council ordered right? It will be fine. Their time will come soon enough. For now, I just want to focus on the strong ones. The only question is where do we..." Yang trailed off when she heard a faint rumbling that drew her eyes over towards the city.
They were still a ways off, but Yang could just make out what appeared to be a few attack helicopters heading in her direction. There was also a small convoy of grey tinted trucks carrying some heavy looking equipment coming down from the mountain that boarded the city. "Hello, looks like we found our big fish."
"Shall we go greet them girl?" Yang asked, once again sounding excited. Bumblebee just huffed in acknowledgment. That must've been all Yang needed since without further ado she snapped on the reins and the pair speeded towards the city.
Kingdom of Hell: Ninth Circle.
Nestled in the center of Hell's lowest level, buried so deep that not even Heaven's light could hope to reach, stood a high tower that was as black as the night sky and larger than any structure man could ever hope to construct. Known simply as the Black Tower, this structure was Hell's greatest fortress and stood as a symbol of its unwavering might and authority.
The Black Tower's outer walls were carved from obsidian and reinforced through powerful ancient magics making them virtually impenetrable. Its interior was like a maze of winding corridors that were impossible to navigate without already knowing the way.
There were also many areas of the Black Tower that could not be accessed at all without very advanced understanding of the magical arts. The most important of these secluded areas was the council chamber. Not only did this room act as a meeting place for the Council of Sin, the seven most powerful generals in Hell's army, but it also doubled as their queen's throne room.
Since the Charred Council brought the war with Heaven to an abrupt close, the council chamber had been used less and less. The Council of Sin only meeting on occasion to discuss their plans for the future End War and even then, it was rare for more than a few members to be in attendance. Each member of the council was either too busy hatching their own schemes in the shadows or simply too lazy to adhere to their duties. However, that was not the case on this day.
By now the news of the End War's beginning had spread throughout the nine circles, so it was of little surprise when the Queen of the Black Tower called an emergency meeting of the Seven Sins to order, and few even among the Sins were foolish enough to ignore such a summons.
The council chamber itself was a simple affair, dark and foreboding, but relatively tame by Hell's standards. On many of the higher levels blood was considered an acceptable substitution for paint and bones were a popular building material, but the council chamber was different.
The council chamber had walls carved from limestone and they were lined with large clear glass windows. The floor was made of a dark mahogany and jet black crystals poking through it along the sides and in the center of the space. These crystals were gathered in clusters and let off a dim purple glow which along with a few lit candles lining the walls served as the chambers only sources of light.
In the center of the chamber surrounded by a throne carved from the same black crystals and seven identical ornate wooden chairs sat a slab of pure onyx. The onyx had been cut into a flat surface to act as a table and it also gave off the same purple glow that the other crystals spread around the room did, illuminating the faces of its occupants.
Among the seats that surrounded the onyx table, four were currently occupied, while four were still vacant. The crystal throne itself sat empty, their host having not yet arrived, but in the seat on its left hand side sat a humanoid demon that had his legs awkwardly pulled up onto the seat with him rather than flat on the floor. This demon had long black hair that was pulled together into a single braid that hung down his back. He was also garbed mostly in white and his shirt was open and sleeveless leaving his scarred arms and chest visible. He was currently busy talking to himself and had a mad look it his gold eyes.
"I see you still haven't gotten over those bad habits of yours, huh Tyrian?" The demon sitting directly across from the wild eyed demon asked, his tone seeping with condescension. "Why are you so worked up anyway?"
The dark haired demon instantly straightened himself, his wild eyes becoming as sharp as razors as they zeroed in on the one who had spoken. Opposite him sat a demon who was also dressed in white, only instead of a sleeveless shirt and tattered jeans, this demon wore a white suit, black pants, and a black bowler hat with a red strip. His eyes were of a dark-green hue that felt almost hypnotic when gazed upon. The demon's hair was bright red and in the right light, almost seemed orange. This demon seemed almost bored as he leaned back in his chair and lazily puffed on a cigar.
"That's Envy to you, Greed!" The dark haired demon spat in response. "And the better question is why aren't you worked up!? I am just excited to finally be able to serve our queen in glorious combat once again! Not that a weak coward like yourself could hope to understand what that's like!"
"Yeah, yeah whatever you say." The demon known as Greed said as he waved dismissively. "Speaking of, our queen seems to be late." He said motioning towards the empty throne. "Kind of strange to call all of us down here and then not even bother to show up, don't you think?" He asked with a shrug.
Envy's expression twisted in displeasure, slowly becoming murderous until he looked like he was about to lung over the table and claw out Greed's throat, but the lone female demon at the table spoke up before he got the chance. "I do not believe it is your place to question our queen's commands, Roman."
Both Greed and Envy turned their attention towards the one who had spoken. Sitting at the very end of the table directly facing the throne was a female demon garbed in a red silken dress with gold trimming. Her hair was as black as night and hung down to her shoulders while her eyes were piercingly sharp balls of amber and she was currently using them to stare her companion down. She gripped a grail of dark red liquid in one hand and looked to have been about to drink before the squabble had broken out. The fact that she had been interrupted didn't seem to be too pleasing to her.
Greed averted his gaze while Envy scoffed and began to speak in a sarcastic tone. "For once we agree on something Vanity, who would've thought."
"Careful Envy, your hubris is showing." Greed retorted, causing Envy to snarl in his direction.
Meanwhile a third male demon that was sat directly to the right of Greed let out an annoyed sigh. This demon was garbed mostly in black with the only exceptions being the white gloves and mask that covered his hands and eyes respectively. Along with the red symbols that appeared in different places throughout his attire. Among this group, this demon's demonic features were some of the most prominent with his flaming red hair and the set of large horn like growths protruding through it. There was also the pair of large bat like wings that he had folded behind his back.
"You got something you want to add Adam?" Greed inquired.
"It's Wrath." The black clad demon spat. "And no, I'm just sick of hearing the sound of your voice." That remark earned a laugh from Envy and a roll of the eyes from Vanity.
Greed just glared, but said no more. Wrath found that to be a wise course of action on his part. After all it looked like the others were gearing up to eviscerate him. Not that Wrath really cared much either way. Greed was annoying at the best of times, but he was still a comrade and he had his uses. He also didn't really mind being called by his given name quite as much as the others did either.
Adam Taurus was Wrath's given name and it was a name that had always held a great deal of weight in the underworld for one reason or another. Adam, like most of hell's denizens was a demon, but not all demons were created equal. Demons came in all shapes and sizes. Some had soft smooth skin like that of the humans while others had rough scaly skin like beasts. A rare few even lacked much of a physical form at all which allowed them to alter their shape and size as they saw fit.
Adam for his part was what most would refer to as a greater fire demon. Another fact he was quite proud of since it gave him both physical power and a presence that couldn't go ignored. It did all of this while not being too large and cumbersome like some of his other brethren.
Of course Adam still preferred the title of Wrath. After all it had been gifted to him by the powers that be and receiving such a title was the greatest honor a demon such as himself could ever receive. With it he had also been granted a seat among the Council of Sin, a group composed of Hell's most elite, and they held almost absolute authority within the Kingdom of Hell. They were second only to the Great Destroyer himself and of course his chosen representative, the Black Queen Salem.
Unfortunately many of Wrath's fellow council members didn't seem to grasp the importance of their position. It was the only explanation for why there were still three vacant seats at the table with the End War nearly upon them. "It seems that Gluttony, Lust, and Sloth still haven't arrived." He said.
"Big surprise there, I can't remember the last time I've seen any of them come to a meeting." Greed declared.
"I'm sure they will be here, not even they would ignore our Queen's summons." Vanity reasoned.
Greed looked like he had something to say about that, but he was interrupted when a dark void seemed to appear out of thin air directly behind the throne and a female voice echoed from beyond the emptiness. "Vanity speaks the truth."
Everyone's attention turned towards the rip in space and Envy rushed to his feet only to lower his head in a bow. "Welcome back, my queen!" He declared as a pale white leg covered with bulging black vanes stepped through the portal followed by the most powerful woman in all of Hell, the Black Queen Salem. "We have gathered as you have instructed."
As the name suggests, the Black Queen was an imposing figure, the black veins that ran along her leg covered most of her body, and the pale skin made them stand out all the more. Her hair was as white as cobwebs and were held up in a complex weave. Her eyes were as black and bottomless as the void she had appeared from.
"So you have." Salem acknowledged as she surveyed the chamber before fixing her gaze on the three empty seats. "Rather at least most of you." Without saying anything more she stepped forward, the dark portal closing behind her. Then she took up her seat on the throne.
"Yes, so it would seem." Envy declared, looking momentarily uncertain before clearing his throat and continuing. "What do you wish us to do my queen? Shall we begin without them?" He suggested.
"No," Salem said firmly. "I have already received word from Lust and Gluttony. They will be delayed, but shall join us shortly."
"Ah, I see, then I suppose I can wait a little longer." Envy said before finally retaking his seat.
"Wait, what of Sloth my queen?" Greed chimed in as he pointed his thumb back towards the empty seat between Wrath and Vanity.
"Of that I am uncertain." Salem said after a moment of thought. "I can sense that Sloth is within our Kingdom's borders, but it does not feel as though they are drawing near."
Wrath sneered at the mention of the name. "I'm sure that lazy fool is still loafing around here somewhere."
Salem gave a nod. "Indeed that is a likely scenario, but that is simply the nature of their hubris so it can't be helped. Though, their presence is still required. Wrath!"
"Yes my queen!?" Wrath replied sounding slightly startled.
"I would like you to go locate Sloth and bring her here." Salem declared.
Wrath spoke before he could think better of it. "Huh? Wait a minute, why are you asking me to go after that freak!?"
Envy's chair hit the floor as he rushed to his feet. "Are you questioning a directed order from our…" Envy was silenced when Salem held up her hand to wave him off.
"Wrath," Salem began her tone measured, but serious. "I do not recall 'asking' you to do anything. Did something I've just said sound like a question to you?"
That certainly did, but Wrath knew that wasn't the point and knew better to vocalize that observation. So instead he just swallowed the growing lump in his throat and made to stand. "No my queen, I spoke out of turn. If you will allow me I shall go fetch Sloth at once."
Salem stared Wrath down for a moment longer allowing him to sweat before finally leaning back in her throne and saying. "You may."
Without further ado Wrath shot up from his seat and snatched his katana sword which had been propped up against the table. He then turned away and began his march. The whole way making it a point to ignore the snickering coming from the direction of Greed and the pointed glares that Envy and Vanity were boring into his backside.
After Adam had taken only a few steps he drew forth his sword, the blade was as red as blood and gleamed menacingly in the candlelight. However as soon as the blade appeared it cut a path across the air before disappearing back into its scabbard. With that one swift motion Adam had not just cut open air, but rather he seemed to have cut space itself, creating a small crimson red portal not unlike the one his queen had used moments ago.
Now with his path opened to him, Wrath took a deep breath to settle his nerves and frustrations before stepped forward and vanishing in the void.
Kingdom of Hell: Seventh Circle
When Adam popped back into being, he now found himself in the Seventh Circle of Hell. A plane that was comprised of mostly desert; there was no water here, only rivers of boiling blood that seemed to flow on forever. As a result very little foliage could be found and what did exist was twisted into a horrific visage.
The Seventh Circle wasn't the most pleasant of places to be, but few places within Hell's domain were what you would call nice. Not that it mattered. Adam wasn't here to sight see after all. This place like most of the nine circles, excluding only the first and last, were governed by a member of the Council of Sin. And it just so happens that this was Sloth's territory. He figured it was as good a place to start as any.
A quick look around had told Adam that he was just outside of Sloth's fortress. He would've tried to land inside the fort itself, but powerful magical wards prevented even a being such as himself from doing such. A bit annoying, but Adam had to admit it wouldn't make for much of a defense if the enemy could just warp inside of it.
The fortress itself was a relatively large structure made mostly out of brick and mortar and bared a striking resemblance to the medieval castles of man. Adam didn't really think much of it though. After all it wasn't nearly as impressive as the Black Tower, but he supposed that it served its purpose well enough.
As Adam approached the gates to Sloth's fortress he noticed a few odd things. First the gates were not only open, but there was nobody guarding them. Sure, few intruders from Heaven or Earth could hope to reach this place alive, but Hell's minions faced just as many enemies within their own ranks. Demons aren't the most trustworthy creatures as they say.
"Hello!" Adam called out as he pushed through the gates and towards the courtyard. He expected with the End War upon them that he would find at least a few of Sloth's lackeys preparing for battle, but there was nobody here either. "This is strange." He murmured to himself.
"Hello! Is anyone here!?" Adam called out a bit louder this time. There was still no reply, so he let out a frustrated sigh before pressing on. If there was nobody here then that could just mean Sloth and their lackeys were simply deeper inside, perhaps in the great hall where Sloth's minions would eat their meals.
Not being the most familiar with the layout of this particular fort, Adam just made a beeline for the nearest entrance he can see. Straight across the courtyard from where he had entered, Adam came upon a set of large ornate wooden doors, each baring the depiction of a fire dragon carved into the woodwork. As he pushed his way inside and saw the rows of pews leading up to a black altar, he realized that he was in the wrong place.
This place was a sacrificial altar of sorts, the type that demons would often use to make offerings to the Great Destroyer. Usually to gain a boon of some kind for an important battle that was to come. Since the pact was formed and the war between Heaven and Hell was put on hold, these altars haven't seen much use. That fact was reflected by the cobwebs and dust that had accumulated to the point that they were now covering nearly every surface as well as the absence of anyone to clean them away.
Though, now that Adam thought about it, with the End War only moments away at least somebody should be here to make an offering. "Hmm, this is quite troubling." Adam thought allowed as he gave the altar room another once over.
There really wasn't anyone here, but there was one thing that caught his eye. Directly behind the altar stud a large marble statue of what appeared to be a male winged demon. At first he thought it to be a depiction of the Great Destroyer, but the features weren't quite right. This demon had arms as thick as tree trunks and they were crossed over bared chest. It also had a set of long curved horns that were not unlike those of a ram. Finally a small beard decorated his chin.
It was a powerful looking figure to be sure and Adam knew who this was. "Lord Hazel Rainart." He said as he stepped forward to gaze more closely at the stonework.
Yes, Adam knew this man well. He was the former holder of the Sloth seat on the Council of Sin. The one who held it right before his current quarry took up the position. Lord Hazel had one of the oldest members of the council in fact. At least until he died in battle right around the tail end of the old war.
Adam was actually quite surprised to see a monument like this in here. Demons weren't really known for honoring their dead, at least not with something grandiose like this. Sentimentality was often considered weakness down here and the death of a higher up usually just meant an opportunity for advancement. Though, he supposed if anyone deserved being remembered it was Hazel Rainart.
Hazel was somewhat of a legend in the Nine Circles for his accomplishments in battle. A powerful frontline fighter, who looked every bit the warrior he was. He always inspired and demanded loyalty from those who followed him. Adam wasn't even ashamed to admit that he admired Hazel's strength.
Unfortunately much to Adam's shame, Hazel's demise had been largely the fault of his own predecessor. Raven Branwen was her name. She was once well regarded in the Kingdom of Hell, but she committed a sin that not even demons could forgive.
The forces of Hell had been making one of their hardest pushes against the Kingdom of Heaven ever. They had already taken two of Heaven's Nine Spheres and were making headway with the third. The combined forces of both Hazel and the former Vanity, known as Pride at the time, Arthur Watts were acting as the vanguard.
Meanwhile Raven was tasked with protecting the rear of the formation. That proved to be unwise since the moment the enemies main force appeared, Raven's forces turned on their allies. Before anyone knew what was going on, Hell's army found itself in a pincer attack. Heaven's Hellguard to one side, traitors on the other, and no way out other than to fight.
While to this day no one is completely sure why she did it, what Raven did is without question treason of the highest order.
Of course treachery is usually just considered par for the course when dealing with demons, but there are limits, some lines you just didn't cross. For example, you simply did not side with the forces of Heaven. Such an act was not only considered the lowest of the low, but also the height of foolishness. Heaven's hierarchy doesn't allow for much upward mobility, let alone for a demon that has proven themselves little in the way of loyalty. So there was little for her to even gain from working with the angels, even if her schemes had succeeded.
Ultimately it didn't matter why Raven did what she did. She paid the price for it anyway. What does matter is that her actions cost the lives of not only Hazel, but Watts as well. That was two council seats left empty and a third forced out. Losing nearly half of the army's leadership in one battle was devastating to the campaign and forced Hell into a retreat.
After that, Cinder the seat of Lust at the time left her seat to take the seat of Pride. A slight promotion since Pride acts as an advisory position to the other Sins. However, from Adam's understanding she had a great dislike for Watts and moved to have the name of her seat changed to Vanity in an attempt to dissociate herself from him.
Now with her new found authority, Cinder hand picked the replacements for the remaining seats including her former one. Thus Adam with her recommendation took up the seat of Wrath.
Done reminiscing Adam let out an explosive sigh and tore his eyes away from the imposing statue and was about to return the way he came when he heard the doors creak open. "Ah, somebody is in here? Now isn't that rare?"
Adam's reflexes kicking in his eyes shot up to meet the curious gaze of a pale demon woman with crimson red eyes, white hair, and a set of long white horns that extended straight up from the top of her head. The woman was garbed in simple black robes and was carrying what looked like a bucket of water with a rag hanging over the rim.
"So there is somebody here. I was beginning to think this place was abandoned" Adam said in return.
The woman let out a light chuckle. "Yeah, I guess you might think that if you saw this place." She said while motioning to the dusty room around them, then reaffixing her gaze on Adam. There was a new sharpness to her eyes and seriousness to her tone when she spoke again. "So what brings the great Wrath all the way down here?"
"You know who I am?" Adam asked before thinking about how dumb of a question it was.
The woman just shrugged before replying. "Hard not to know who the Sins are in these parts, especially when you serve one."
"I suppose so," Adam admitted before another question came to mind. "By the way, where is everyone? Why isn't anyone preparing for the End War?"
"Well I'm sure they're around here somewhere. The boss tends to only keep a handful of us on hand, quality over quantity as they say. There is less of a chance for any traitors to worm their way into your ranks that way." The woman said as she cast a meaningful glance at the statue of Hazel looming over the room. "By the way I've answered your questions, but you still haven't answered mine. Why are you here?"
Adam wasn't sure that he liked the tone this wench was taking with him, but he supposed that he was the one trespassing here so he would let it slide this time. "Sloth has been summoned by Queen Salem, since they have failed to show themselves I am here to retrieve them."
"Ah, I see." The woman said, but added no more.
Adam frowned at that before pressing on. "Do you know where they are?"
"Nope." The woman replied dismissively.
"Nope?" Adam questioned now sounding confused.
"Nope." The woman repeated with a nod.
"What do you mean Nope!?" Adam shrieked. "Is Sloth here or not!?"
"I don't think so." The woman replied sounding disinterested. "I haven't seen the boss around here for at least a fortnight. Last I heard they were heading up to the First Circle to visit Junior. Maybe you could try there."
Adam growled angrily as he began to massage the bridge of his nose. "This is going to be a day I can just feel it." He seethed before drew forth his blade once more and cut open another portal.
"Safe travels." The woman said while she waved Adam goodbye.
Kingdom of Hell: First Circle
"Well that was a colossal waste of my time." Adam spat as he stepped out from the crimson void of his portal and into yet another of Hell's nine planes.
The First Circle, also known as Limbo, was quite unique among the nine. The weather here was a fair bit nicer than most for starters. Never too hot, nor too cold, and the ground at Adam's feet was soft due to the lair of healthy green grass that covered it. The sky above and the water around were all clear blue. Basically this place was about as close to paradise as it came down here. Adam however, didn't care for this circle, rather it could be said that it was his least favorite of all, and thus he rarely visited.
The reason for Adam's distaste was largely thanks to the pact that the Charred Council had forced Heaven and Hell into. Because of that ridiculous pact, this circle had been made into some sort of neutral territory between both Kingdoms. As such, this place was not governed by a member of the Council of Sin or even the Queen, and this allowed angels to just come and go as they pleased.
Needless to say, the thought of angels just strolling around Hell like they belonged here was sickening, and if Adam had his way they would all be put to the sword the moment they stepped foot here.
On top of that, the type of angels that would usually frequent a place such as this, were often of the fallen variety. Tainted by their worldly desires and thus no longer had a place in Heaven. That of course didn't make Adam like them anymore than the rest. Rather it just solidified his view of them as all being a bunch of hypocrites. Though, they weren't the only ones that made the First Circle their home.
This was still Hell's domain even if they didn't have full control, so there still many demons here as well. However, the demons that lived up here were usually the ones who were either too weak or cowardly to fight for the Kingdoms glory.
There were also a few more clever demons that saw the desperation of the fallen angels and thought it an opportunity for profit. They weren't wrong either. There were many a demon that would gladly trade away a small fortune in souls just to play with a couple of angels for a night or two. As such the First Circle was considered by many of Hell's denizens as one big red-light district.
And all of this debauchery was run by one man, a demon known simply as Junior. While Junior wasn't the strongest or the smartest that demon kind had to offer, he was good at running a shady business, and that talent had made him the closest think the First Circle had to a governor.
"I feel gross just being here." Adam scoffed as he began his trek into the heart of one of Limbos largest towns, one that looked more like an amusement park than a homestead. Though, that was the point. The flashing lights, the larger than life signs, all meant to thrill and entice. Adam ignored them of course.
When Adam passed by one of the local brothels he had to side step a pair of woman who sought to lore him inside with promises of an unforgettable experience. He ignored them as well and continued his march towards his ultimate destination. A large building located near the center of town with a big neon sign that displayed the words Cubs Club in bright blue letters.
Adam could hear strange music emanating from the building and like there always was, a long queue of demons and fallen angels were lined up at the door awaiting entry. Adam ignored them as well, choosing instead to walk straight to the front where the VIPs usually entered from.
"Get out of my way!" Adam barked at what appeared to be couple of lesser demons standing arm and arm at the VIP entrance.
"Hey man what's the deal!?" The male demon complained, but was silenced when Adam forcibly shoved him aside.
Standing at the door was a larger demon dressed in a black suit and he regarded Adam with annoyance. "Can I help you sir?"
"I've come to see Junior on an official matter, you need not know anymore than that!" Adam declared to the doorman.
For a moment the demon's expression twisted into a scowl, but as he looked closer at Adam his eyes suddenly became wide. Like because he had finally recognized just who was standing before him. "Lord Wrath! My apologies we were not expecting you today! Right this way my lord!" He stammered as he stepped aside and held the door open for Adam to enter. "The boss should be manning the bar tonight!"
Adam gave a nod to the doorman as he passed through into the club itself. After passing the threshold he felt an odd sensation, he soon realized that he had just passed through a barrier, one designed to dampen sound. Then all at once his senses were assaulted by the blaring music, the flashing lights, and the sea of sweaty bodies moving in rhythm to it all.
It was almost so loud that Adam couldn't even hear himself think and the smell, oh the smell. He had only been here a few second and already it was unbearable. "Who could possible think this is fun!" Adam shouted, but his voice was quickly lost in the chaos.
Letting out a sigh, Adam pressed on. The sooner he found Junior, the sooner he could find Sloth, and get back to the meeting. Luckily his first target didn't seem like it was going to give him much trouble. Just like the doorman had said, Junior was behind the bar serving up drinks for his patrons. A job that Adam would think was below the man's station at this point, but perhaps he just didn't trust any of his lackeys to do it right.
Junior himself had short dark hair with a matching beard and a set of bull like horns sprouting from the side of his head. He also had a large build, but wasn't nearly as muscular as the demon warriors one could find in the lower circles. Like the demon manning the door he wore a black suit, but his was sleeveless revealing a white shirt underneath.
"Junior!" Adam called out as he approached the bar, but it seemed that the man couldn't hear him over the noise so Adam moved closer before slamming his palms down on the counter and speaking again. "Junior!"
Junior noticed this time and looked over in Adam's direction, the man instantly recognized Adam for who he was, and took on a guarded expression. "Well if it isn't the Wrath Sin himself, Adam Taurus! To what do I owe the pleaser!?"
"Cut it Junior, I'm in a hurry!" Adam said bluntly. Junior crossed his arms and waited for Adam to go on. "I'm looking for Sloth, I heard they came by here, do you know where they are!?"
"Sloth, why are you looking for them? Does this have something to do with the call earlier?" Junior questioned.
"None of your business Junior, now have you seen them or not!?" Adam barked.
Junior chuckled. "Everything that happens down here is my business kid. Knowledge is power and information is what let me built all of this." He said while spreading his arms wide and motioning to the club around them. "Though, I know full well that I'm not going to get anything out of you and since you're a first time customer, I suppose I can give you a freebee."
"So you know where they are then!?" Adam questioned again.
Junior gave a nod. "Sloth came by not long ago, they were with a few of Lust's crew, came by to party. I believe they went into town to find a room for the main event. If you want I can make a few calls and get you the room number. That is if you can make it worth my while?" He offered while rubbing his thumb, index finger, and middle finger together.
"I thought you said this was a freebee?!" Adam spat while leveling a furious glare at the demonic informant that his mask did little to conceal.
Junior noticed and while he did seem a bit nervous, he wasn't detoured. "You asked if I'd seen them and I told you. That was your freebee. If you want me to take time out of my day to find out where they are now, well that will cost you. So how about it Adam, do we have a deal or what?"
Adam's scowl intensified and he briefly considered drawing his sword on this greedy fool, but thought better of it. This was after all just how things worked down here. With a growl he reached into his jacket and pulled out a few black cards which he then slammed down on the counter nearly cracking it.
The cards were known as soul credits since they could be exchanged in certain places for actual souls and they worked as a form of currency here in the Kingdom of Hell. They also came in varying colors which indicated their value. The cards Adam had just given Junior were among the largest, worth a few thousands each, which made them far more valuable than he believed Junior's info was worth.
Junior smiled widely as he quickly snatched up the credits and began to march towards a back room. "Be back in a minute your lordship. Why not relax and take a load off. Have a drink perhaps? The first one can even be on me."
Adam just grumbled as he took a seat at the bar. "I bet the dogs of Heaven don't have to put up with this crap."
Bonus Notes: Hey lets play a little game, see if you can figure out who Sloth, Gluttony, or Lust are. If you can guess two of them, I'll see if I can't give you something special.