Grail of Sin Chapter 7
A fresh start
Vaggie entered the young couple's bedchamber to find Charlie, hard at work, at the large vanity table. It was littered with Charlie's notes and her eyes seemed to dart from one set of papers to another. She paused for a moment, rubbing her hair furiously while tapping her pen loudly on the table in frustration.
"Plan B, Charlie. What is your plan B?" Charlie thought to herself, not detecting Vaggie's approach. "If Angel refuses to follow the plan then I need to think of something else. Come on Charlie, think! What else can fill out the three criteria of getting into heaven? Be selfless…hmm. Maybe we can get Angel to…NO, damn it! Why was I so stupid! I should have known that Vaggie wouldn't let us fight criminals!"
"Eeeep!" Charlie yelled as Vaggie hugged her from behind, startling her. "Vaggie! Please don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Sorry sweetie. Didn't mean to scare you." Vaggie said as she kissed Charlie on the cheek with a smile.
"Mmmmmm. It will take more than a kiss on the cheek to be forgiven." Charlie said as she pouted at Vaggie in the vanity table's mirror. "It would take at least…two kisses on the cheek."
Vaggie laughed and pecked Charlie's other cheek with a second kiss. This seemed to earn a satisfied smile from Charlie.
Vaggie rested her head on Charlie's shoulder for a moment as she held her from behind. She looked at the papers on the table and saw all manner of notes and plans. Some crossed out, others highlighted.
"I'm sorry about earlier." Vaggie said. "I didn't mean to sound…dismissive of your idea. I know you work so hard for all of us."
"Vaggie, it's alright." Charlie said. "I don't know what came over me. I just…thought that we could do it, together, the three of us."
"Hey, I am willing to give it a shot…for you." Vaggie said as she nestled against Charlie.
"Thanks…Vaggie." Charlie said with a warm smile as she clasped her hand with Vaggie's, enjoying the quiet embrace for a moment. "But, you know I trust you more than anyone. If you say it's a bad idea…well, then it's a bad Idea. We have to find something else for Angel to do."
"Alright. But hey, I have a surprise for you." Vaggie said after a moment.
"What?" Charlie asked.
Vaggie stood next to Charlie and placed two pieces of paper onto the desk in front of Charlie.
"What is this?" Charlie asked as she picked up the papers, reading them. Her eyes widened quickly as she realized what they were. "Wha...? Is this…from Alastor?"
"Yes. You don't owe him any favors. It's done." Vaggie said with a smile.
"W…Why did Alastor void the favor?" Charlie asked, completely flabbergasted.
"Well…it didn't look like he did it too willingly." Vaggie said with a smirk.
"How did you get him to void it?" Charlie asked.
"Well…our new archangel had a few words with him. You should have seen how angry Alastor got." Vaggie said.
Charlie gasped. "They didn't get into a fight, did they?!" Charlie asked with a concerned expression.
"No, just a war of words…for now. But, the results speak for themselves. The new guy seems to be earning his keep real fast." Vaggie said.
"Wow…I never would have expected it to be so easy." Charlie said. "I…I am so relieved. For a while now I've had growing fears about this thing. The longer it took him to ask anything in return, the more I was afraid of what he might ask." Charlie said with a sad expression.
"Well…it's over now." Vaggie said with a smile. "Let's get some sleep."
Early the next morning, Charlie and Vaggie sat at a table in the common room having their coffee while reviewing Charlie's notes together.
"Alright, what about having Angel work at the soup kitchen? Help the hungry sinners?" Charlie asked.
"That is better, but Hell doesn't have a soup kitchen. No need to feed the poor if they can't die from starvation." Vaggie said.
"Hmm…maybe we can op…" Charlie's sentence was cut short by the sound of the hotel's front door being slammed open. "Angel!" she yelled as she got up and ran to the lobby.
As Charlie exited the common room, she saw a disheveled and exhausted Angel Dust limping toward the bar where Husk was stationed. Neither man said anything to the other as Angel Dust entered the bar and grabbed a random bottle of alcohol from the shelf. He quickly opened it and took a swig straight from the bottle. Without a word, Angel Dust then exited the bar and walked towards the main staircase leading up to his room, bottle in hand.
"Angel! Welcome back!" Charlie said as she intercepted Angel Dust on the way and tried to lean in for a hug.
"Not now Charlie." Angel Dust said as he held her back with one hand, preventing her from coming any closer.
"Angel! A…Are you ok?" Charlie said with a compassionate tone.
"I'm fine…" Angel Dust said coldly.
"Can I get you some water?" Charlie asked.
"No, Charlie! I'm fine! I just…need to get some sleep." Angel Dust said as he continued towards the stairs.
Charlie looked away with a sad expression, holding herself.
Zefriel was descending the stairs but stopped half way as Angel Dust walked past him, without a word. He could see the vacant eyes of Angel Dust, seeming unaware of Zefriel's presence.
"What happened?" Zefriel asked Charlie as he descended the rest of the stairs.
Charlie was silent, unwilling to say what she believed Angel Dust must have faced.
"Valentino happened." Vaggie said with venom in her voice.
"I see." Zefriel said pensively.
"Vaggie. We have to get back to work. Now." Charlie said as she began walking back towards the common room.
"Right." Vaggie agreed as she followed.
The girls sat back down at their table and got back to their work.
"I need to double my efforts." Charlie said. "We have to help him get out of here as soon as possible!"
"Charlie…" Zefriel said as he approached from behind but paused mid sentence as he saw the considerable amount of notes and papers on the girl's table. "Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all!" Charlie said with a smile as she politely pulled out a chair for him.
He sat down with the girls, quietly observing them work. Vaggie was busy reviewing Charlie's notes while she was busy brainstorming her ideas.
"May I?" Zefriel asked as he motioned for a small stack of notes.
"Yes please! Any suggestions would also be very welcome!" Charlie said.
Zefriel picked up a stack and began reviewing her Ideas. Several had already been crossed out, including the 'stick it to the man' plan. "Probably for the best, but a lot of wasted effort." Zefriel thought to himself. One thing stood out to him as he noticed that all these plans seemed to revolve around a single sinner, Angel Dust.
"Charlie, may I be frank with you?" Zefriel asked.
"Sure, what's up?" Charlie asked, her eyes still locked on her notes.
"Charlie, you are wasting your time on Angel." Zefriel said.
"Wha..?" Charlie said as she raised her head in surprise. "No, I am not wasting my time on him!" She yelled as she stood up with clenched fists. "How could you say something so hurtful after what you just saw?!"
"Charlie, I am being pragmatic. You are wasting a considerable time of effort on Angel. I see your plans, they are not going to work." Zefriel said.
"That's not true!" Charlie yelled as she stomped her hoof on the floor in frustration.
"Hey, back off." Vaggie said with an angry expression.
"No, she needs to hear this." Zefriel said as he stood his ground. "Charlie, what is the purpose of your hotel?"
"To redeem sinners, which is exactly what I am trying to do!" Charlie said angrily.
"Yes. Sinners. Plural. You have decided to devote a considerable amount of energy on a single sinner while more could use your aid out there in the city. You have to be proactive and find other sinners to recruit." Zefriel said.
"I know that! What do you think I have been trying to do this whole time? I have been desperate to attract more residents but none seem to be interested in the hotel. I have to work on what I have here and now." Charlie said in an annoyed tone.
Zefriel was silent for a moment. "Charlie, I am not trying to upset or anger you."
"I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice at you. This whole thing is just tearing me up on the inside." Charlie said.
"I understand your frustration, you clearly care for him deeply." Zefriel said in a compassionate tone. "But you must not lose sight of the big picture. You are currently at a critical time for your project. You have to strike while the Iron is still hot and aid more sinners to be redeemed."
"But, Angel's my friend! I won't just give up on him!" Charlie yelled.
"I was not trying to suggest that you should give up on him. Charlie, I am trying to point out that you are putting the cart before the horse." Zefriel said.
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.
"I believe that, if sinners can become better people in Hell, then the opposite is also true. They can get worse. To give you an analogy, Imagine sinners as people who are digging holes in the ground. Every sin they commit in Hell, they get deeper into the hole. If you truly want to help Angel, then you first have to stop him from digging deeper. And to do that, you must first free him from his bondage to this…Valentino." Zefriel said calmly.
Charlie was silent, thinking to herself. Zefriels words were beginning to have an impact on her.
"As for the rest of your hotel operations, you need to compartmentalize your strategy.
First, I believe you should deal with the easiest cases first. The less sin the sinner committed, the better.
Second, when you do get these candidates, you need to formulate a proper strategy as to how to redeem them. All your current plans seem to revolve around a very poor understanding of what it takes to get into heaven." Zefriel said as he showed the clipboard with the three criteria to enter heaven.
"So…Adam was wrong?" Charlie asked.
"I wouldn't say he was wrong. The points he made are valid enough, but they are about as deep as a puddle on a rainy day." Zefriel said.
"And I suppose you know better?" Charlie asked, an annoyed expression on her face.
Zefriel was silent for a moment, almost seeming to have taken offense to her comment. He snapped his fingers and one of his green rucksacks materialized out of nowhere, landing behind him with a heavy thud. Charlie and Vaggie looked on as he began to rummage through it.
"I'm pretty sure it's here someplace…" He said to himself. "Aha!"
Zefriel pulled out a large ring-like object and threw it into the air before he quickly sat back down in his chair. As it landed, it seemed to stop midair above his head. He then put a finger to it and it burst into a red fire. There seemed to be two separate streams of red fire, coiling into one another from opposite directions, one clockwise and the other anticlockwise.
"Yes. Yes, I do." Zefriel said in reply to Charlie's previous question, the barest hint of smugness in his voice.
The elaborate halo seemed to give Charlie and Vaggie pause. Neither had ever seen one that seemed to bear living fire.
"Let's start by identifying the problem. Sinners are people who have committed sin in their mortal lives. So your objective is to make right the sinful ways of your patients. But what is Sin?" Zefriel asked.
"Sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law." answered Vaggie.
"I see. A straightforward answer. But, that begs the question. What is it about sinful actions that required the lord to make divine law to prohibit them? The answer is very simple. Because sinful actions are the cause of harm. There is no sin that does not lead to harm, to varying degrees, either to ourselves or to others."
"I see. That makes some sense." Charlie said pensively.
"Now, all beings are being torn between two destinations. Heaven or Hell. Since we know that sin, or harm, leads one to Hell , then we can deduce that the opposite would lead to Heaven. This opposite is Virtue. It is the path to absolution and redemption."
Charlie was silent, pondering every word Zefriel said.
"But before you work on improving the virtue of your patients, you must first stop them from committing more sin, or at least the most grievous of their sins. I doubt the Lord would allow sinners into Heaven if there is a potential of them harming others in Heaven." Zefriel said.
Charlie was silent for a moment, thinking to herself, before taking a notepad off the table and writing down some notes. "Right. Stopping them from causing harm to themselves or others." Charlie said. "Soooo…trust falls were a waste of time."
"One does not need to be a trusting person to reach Heaven. Heaven is a high trust society as a consequence of good morals and not the other way around." Zefriel explained.
Charlie seemed in deep thought as she looked at the piles of papers on the table before she began gathering them all up into one large stack.
"Charlie? Where are you going?" Vaggie asked.
"Vaggie, you know I love you, but I would need some time alone. I want to think this through on my own. Would you mind leaving me alone in the office for a while?" Charlie asked.
"Sure thing…hun." Vaggie said
As Charlie left with her notes, Zefriel grasped his halo, the flames seeming to do him no harm, and shook it vigorously until the flames were extinguished. He then proceeded to toss it unceremoniously back into his rucksack before placing it over his shoulder.
"Hey Zef, I want to show you something." Vaggie said "Follow me."
"Here it is. The training room." Vaggie said as she opened the door.
The room was barren of any furniture, a small mat was the only thing present on the floor. The walls were stacked with all types of swords, spears and even a mace. None of these weapons seemed to be angelic but instead made from far more common steel.
"It's not much, but it manages to keep me sharp." Vaggie said.
"An impressive assortment of weapons." Zefriel said as he inspected the weapons on the walls. "Are you proficient with all these weapons?"
"More or less, but the spear is my go-to." Vaggie said. "What do you use as your weapon?"
"I use a Zweihänder." Zefriel replied.
"A great sword from medieval Germany? Cool." Vaggie said.
"You seem well versed in swords." Zefriel said, impressed at her knowledge.
"Sure am." Vaggie said. "But, I didn't bring you here just to compare steel. I was hoping you would be interested in some friendly sparring."
"You wish to spar with me?" Zefriel asked.
"You are the only one here that might give me a good workout." Vaggie said. "I feel like I'm at a plateau as to how sharp I can get on my own. I need an opponent, which is something I haven't been able to train with for years."
"I understand. Sure I will help you." Zefriel said "Whenever you wish to spar let me know."
"Well, I was hoping for a match now. Charlie is going to be in the office for hours so I have some time to spare." Vaggie said.
"Very well then." Zefriel said "Hand to hand?"
"Perfect." Vaggie replies.
"Good, he doesn't suspect." Vaggie thought to herself as she reached for the padded gloves on the wall. "I need to see how I compare to an archangel, just in case he becomes hostile to Charlie."
Zefriel rummaged through his rucksack and pulled out a pair of padded gloves as well.
Vaggie tied her hair into a ponytail. "Ready?" she asked as she took a ready stance for combat.
"Always." Zefriel said as he did the same.
Vaggie made the first move. She closed the distance with expert footing, so fast that she seemed a blur. She directed her right fist towards Zefriel's head. However, he was just as fast. In a blink of an eye he caught Vaggie's fist in his left palm. Unperturbed and without hesitation she committed to a sidekick with her left leg, aimed straight at Zefriel's ribcage. But, again, he blocked her attack with his forearm without left Zefriel momentarily exposed with a gap in his defenses that Vaggie attempted to exploit. She tried a left hook directed square at Zefriel's jaw. But he dodged it in a nick of time by swinging his head in the opposite direction of her fist. The flurry of Vaggie's attacks took no more than 2 seconds but none seemed effective in the least.
Zefriel pushed Vaggie away but she regained her footing. "An impressive attempt." He said. "Go on, strike as much as you want. I will do my best to block."
Vaggie accepted the invitation, closing in for another flurry of attacks. She started with a Jab, before trying a Rear Uppercut and then a Rear Hook. None of them worked. Zefriel dodged the first attack by moving his head to the side of her fist. He then performed a quick backstep to dodge the Rear Uppercut before ducking under Vaggie's Rear Hook.
"Dammit!" Vaggie thought to herself "He's good."
She continued her assault, but as time dragged on her technique began to suffer, she was getting tired. Despite this, she pressed on looking for any gap in Zefriel's defenses and, after several minutes of constant barrage, she found an opening. Zefriel had extended his arm a little too far to intercept one of Vaggie's punches. In a blink of an eye she seized the opportunity by stepping on Zefriels tight before coiling her leg around Zefriels outstretched arm. She attempted to use her whole body weight to throw Zefriel across the room in a masterful move. However, her whole body weight did not seem to be enough as Zefriel did not budge. Had he been an average human, she would have sent him flying through the wall far behind her. But, Instead, she found herself dangling on his outstretched arm in an exposed position. They both chuckled, embarrassed by their current predicament. Vaggie kicked Zefriel in the chest and rolled away before returning to her ready stance.
"You haven't attacked." Vaggie said. Don't be afraid to land a hit. I can take it."
"Understood." Zefriel replied.
Having had time to regain her breath, Vaggie attacked again. Once more she closed the gap and swung several strikes in quick succession. Zefriel efficiently blocked or deflected all of them, and found a gap in her attack.
As Vaggie committed to a rear right hook, Zefriel's fist struck her directly in her sternum. The impact was so strong that it sent her flying backwards, and when she landed on the ground she rolled backwards before striking the back wall with her back. The hit was devastating and left her momentarily dazed. When she regained her full senses she realized that she had had difficulty breathing as Zefriel approached.
"Santa mierda." Vaggie said, struggling to breath. "I think I broke something…"
Zefriel walked up to her. "Hold still, let me help you." His hand began to emit a dim glow as he placed his hand close to her chest. Immediately Vaggie's pain subsided. "Don't move, I need a minute for this to work."
"You can heal?" Vaggie said.
"Yes. A very useful ability Raphael taught me. I'm nowhere near as good as him but I can still manage to heal bruises… or cracked bones." Zefriel said.
"That was a hell of a hit." Vaggie said.
"Sorry I hit you so hard. I have difficulties controlling my strength. Makes it hard to hold back." Zefriel said. "But I knew you could handle it."
"What makes you say that?" Vaggie asked.
"When I look into your eye, I see the eye of a warrior." Zefriel said. "You are a very capable fighter."
"Heh, you can bet on it." Vaggie replied with a smile, seeming unbothered by the pain any longer.
"Speaking of eyes, have you thought of having that looked at? You know in Heaven we can have your other eye regenerate." Zefriel asked as he gave Vaggie a hand getting up.
Vaggie was silent.
"It's not just aesthetics Vaggie, your strikes were slightly off. A single eye lowers your perception of distance which is vital if a fight. It also means that an opponent only needs to focus on one weak point to blind you completely. It reduces your combat effectiveness overall." Zefriel said
"I know." Vaggie said.
"In a few months you will be able to visit Sir Pentious with Charlie. Maybe that would be a good time to visit the Hospitaleers?" Zefriel said.
"I will think about it." Vaggie said after a moment of silence.
"Alright. I had better get going for now. I need to file my first report." Zefriel said.
"Hey, would you mind sparing some more some other time?" Vaggie asked.
"Sure, any time." Zefriel said.
"Good. And don't hold back too much, or I will make you regret it." Vaggie said with a smile as she removed her gloves.
"Wouldn't dare. See you later." Zefriel said as he exited the room.
"Fuck. That hurt." Vaggie thought to herself. "What the Hell am I supposed to do if he turns on us?"
Vaggie walked up to her spear, hanging on the wall and picked it up. She entered a ready stance and thrust her spear as fast as she could at the height of where she observed Zefriel's neck might be. "If I cannot be as strong, then I will have to be faster." She thought to herself as she repeated the thrust, faster and faster.
The evening arrived and Vaggie made her way to the common room for the gang's usual evening get together. As she entered she saw Angel Dust lounging on the couch, looking to be in much better shape than that same morning. He was staring at his phone while Husk and Niffty sat at a table chatting.
"Hey, have any of you seen Charlie?" Vaggie asked as she approached.
"Nah, I ain't seen her since this morning." Angel Dust said.
The whole room shook as the door was slammed open revealing Charlie, her eyes full of fire and determination.
"Speak of the Devil princess." Angel Dust said with a smile.
"Guys, I've got it!" Charlie said loudly. "Gather around!"
"You thought of something?" asked Vaggie. "Good, let's hear it."
"I have gone through everything we talked about earlier and realized that we really were indeed putting the cart before the horse!" Charlie said enthusiastically. So I threw away everything I had and started from scratch!"
"You threw away all your notes and plans?" Vaggie asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, everything!" Charlie repeated excitedly.
She placed a large paper on the table with doodle drawings all over it. The rest of the party gathered around to see what she had devised.
"First and foremost I realized that we do need a change of strategy for Angel." Charlie said.
"What do ya' mean change of strategy?" Angel Dust asked with an annoyed expression.
"Zefriel was right. We need to free you from Valentino first. That is going to be our top priority." Charlie said. "I will speak with my father about this and see if he is able to do something about it. If not, then I will arrange a meeting with Valentino to see if he will be willing to sell your contract to me. At which point I will free you and you will be able to resume your redemption efforts!"
"Free me from Valentino?" Angel Dust said. "I…I don't know what to say Charlie. That would be a dream come true."
"Right!" Charlie said with a smile. "But, Husk and Niffty, don't think I have forgotten about you. The same will apply to you two, but I need to deal this one at a time."
"Don't sweat it princess." Husk said.
"I don't mind being with Mr Alastor so, don't worry about me." Niffty said.
"Ok. Now, for the big change of plans. I have had to accept what Zefriel said earlier…about needing to take easy cases. But what is an easy case?! He said it was sinners who committed the least amount of sin." Charlie said.
"Brilliant observation…" Angel Dust said sarcastically, clearly unimpressed by what Zefriel had said. Husk and Niffty seemed to share Angel Dust's mood.
"I know, I know!" Charlie said. "But, listen! How do we determine who these sinners are? Well that is what I realized. We need to target newcomers to Hell!"
The room became so silent you could hear a pin drop.
"Target…newcomers." Vaggie said as she broke the silence, her fingers on her chin in contemplation.
"Yes! Think about it.
Who is likely to have the least amount of sin in Hell? Newcomers!
Who would need shelter from the predators of Hell's denizens? Newcomers!
Who would be most eager for a chance at redemption due to being emotionally shocked of finding themselves in Hell? NEW COMERS!" Charlie yelled, breathing heavily from her emotional state.
"That is a…solid plan." Husk chimed in.
"Yeah. Newcomers would find our operation to be appealing. But how do we find them?" Vaggie asked.
"That's easy, silly." Niffty said. "You're an angel with wings. Just fly around and follow the screams! Newcomers always freak out when they first land in Hell! Hahahah!."
"Yes, that's right Vaggie. That's what I thought too." said Charlie after she caught her breath. "I need you to fly around the city and try to locate them. When they see you, an angel, trying to help them, they are bound to listen to you."
"Alright, I can handle that.." Vaggie said as she placed her hand on Charlie's shoulder.
"I know you can." Charlie said as she hugged Vaggie.
"Now. When we do get these new sinners into the hotel I have also formulated a plan for treating them. First we will have to stop them from repeating the sins that caused them to end up in Hell to begin with. Only after we manage to do that shall we focus on giving them tasks to do good deeds and earn their redemptions. We need to close the faucet before we empty the bath, so to speak." Charlie said.
"Sounds like a plan sister." Angel Dust said.
"I'm so happy that you guys agree! Now, we need to celebrate! Who is up for some PIZZA?!" Charlie yelled excitedly.
"Yeah, Pizza!" Niffty yelled.
"Alright i'll make the call!" Charlie said as she walked to the phone.
"The room seems Lively." Zefriel said as he entered the room.
"It should be, considering the occasion." Vaggie said. "Charlie has a new strategy for the Hotel so we are getting Pizzas to celebrate."
"Ah, she already thought of something?" Zefriel said as he shot a glance at Charlie who was busy at the wall mounted phone. "What's the new plan?"
"She wants to free Angel from his contract and she wants to focus on recruiting newcomers to Hell for the hotel." Vaggie said.
"Solid course of action. Can't be any worse than the previous plans." Zefriel said. "Seems you were right about her."
"Yeah, she is a real gem when she puts her mind to it." Vaggie added. "I just hope I can find the newcomers."
"...yes, with all the Pineapple you can put on them!" Charlie could be heard on the phone.
"Please don't tell me I just heard Pineapple…on Pizza…" Zefriel said, a slight hint of dismay on his face.
"Hell's special I'm afraid. Better get used to it." Vaggie said with a smile.
"We truly are in Hell." Zefriel said softly as he made the sign of the cross and glanced up at the ceiling.
"Hey, on a more serious note, I don't suppose you could help out tomorrow? Looking for Sinners I mean. We would be much more efficient with two pairs of wings." Vaggie asked.
Zefriel pondered for a moment. "I will have to ask for permission from my lord. I am not supposed to attract unnecessary attention to myself."
"Alright, I understand." Vaggie said. "But do try to push for more support. We actually have a viable strategy now so we need to give it our all."
Zefriel nodded.
"How's about we move this party to the bar till the pizza guy gets 'ere?" Angel Dust yelled.
"Sounds good to me." Husk said as he left the room.
The rest of the gang soon followed. Husk prepared a couple of Cocktails for the ladies and Angel Dust while enjoying a cup of whiskey with Zefriel. Time seemed to fly by as all the party members were in high spirits, eager to start the next day. During the chatter, there was a knock on the main door.
"Pizzas here." Vaggie said sitting next to Charlie who was busy chatting with Angel Dust.
"I'll get it." Zefriel said who was the closest to the door.
He approached the door and opened it to reveal a blond man in a white suit and tophat. He carried an ornate cane in the theme of an apple and a coiling snake. The king of Hell had arrived unannounced. Lucifer looked at the man he did not recognize, up and down, with a raised eyebrow while Zefriel returned the same gesture. Both men stared at each other in silence.
End of Chapter 7