Grail of sin Chapter 5
Old Guard.
Vaggie shook Zefriel's hand and sat down, crossing her arms.
"Thank you for bothering with this Vaggie. Considering your role at this hotel, I believe it is important for us to get acquainted and work together for our common goal."
"Do we really have a common goal?" asked Vaggie with a skeptical tone.
"If our goal is to ensure Charlie is safe and her hotel is a success at redeeming sinners, then yes." Zefriel answered.
"We'll see." She replied.
"How does me being here make you feel?" asked Zefriel.
"Peachy." Vaggie answered with a sarcastic tone.
"You can be sincere here, you have nothing to lose. Frankly, I do not wish to be here." Zefriel said.
"Fine. I hate it. I hate this engagement bullshit and I don't like having you here because I have no idea if you are a danger to Charlie or not." she replied.
"I imagined so. You are her girlfriend after all." Zefriel said in an understanding tone.
"I don't even understand why you have to be here. Everything was doing fine without you." Vaggie said with an annoyed tone.
"The reason I was posted here is because there are fears that Charlie will come under attack from forces that are beyond her ability to defend herself from. It is my responsibility to ensure her safety from these powerful foes. And I am not just referring to Exorcists."
"So your prince sent a heavy hitter for the job. That doesn't make me feel better." Vaggie said.
"I understand your apprehension on this. Still, I was hoping that, as the previous head of security, you would be able to help me get the general situation around Hell. Are there any known threats to the Hotel that I should know? Any enemies Charlie might have? Besides the Exorcists, of course."
"...No". Vaggie answered hesitantly.
"I see. Good." Zefriel said. "Does the hotel have any weak points that we should be concerned about?"
"No." Vaggie answered.
"I will have to check myself." Zefriel thought "I think she is being uncooperative because she doesn't trust me."
"Wonderful." Zefriel said.
"I have some questions I would like to ask." Vaggie said.
"Please by all means, that is why we are here." Zefriel replied.
"Why was it not common knowledge that Heaven had a prince?" Vaggie asked.
"Prince Avis was tasked with capturing or destroying very powerful demons that had been unleashed by Hell approximately one thousand years ago. For that reason It was considered wise to maintain secrecy. If Hell found out, then the prince would have been in even greater danger than he already was."
"Why was he sent to deal with the demons and not…Exorcists?
"Exorcists did not exist at that time. However, even if they did, they would not have been powerful enough to deal with the threats posed. Exorcists are invincible against common sinners. They can be killed by more powerful demons outright and would have been unsuitable for the job." Zefriel said.
"And the prince was?" Vaggie asked.
"Prince Avis is extremely powerful for an angel. No doubt as a result of his lineage and training. Even he had difficulty with the demons however." Zefriel said.
"Then what changed? Why is the prince back in Heaven?" Vaggie asked.
"7 Years ago the last great demon on earth was vanquished. This allowed the prince and myself to return to heaven. Secrecy was no longer necessary, but the prince did not wish to be celebrated or revered so no public acknowledgement was made. Only those in the Holy Palace were introduced to him." Zefriel said.
"That explains why I only heard rumors…" Vaggie said. "And what about you?"
"What do you wish to know about me?" Zefriel asked.
"Everything." Vaggie asked.
"Ah well. I am 900 Years old. For the majority of my life I have served alongside my Liege, Prince Avis, as one of his companions in his quest to rid Earth of the greater demons. In that time I have proved myself and my liege recommended me to fill the vacant seat amongst the archangels. For this purpose I was trained by Saint Michael himself as well as the other archangel." Zefriel said.
"Right, and whose seat did you fill?" Vaggie asked.
"Samael's. Or Satan if you prefer to use his…new name." Zefriel said. "Other than that, there is little of interest I could add to my story. I understand that you were an Exorcist yourself."
"I was." Vaggie said.
"I wanted to learn what happened here during the battle so I read the reports the other Exorcists sent to their Captain Lute. The word 'Bitch' came up 273 times in total. Your skills left an impact on them." Zefriel said with a smile.
This brings a smirk on Vaggie's face, she was pleased to hear it.
"I was curious, so I dug through and found your service record. It was exemplary…other than the fact that it lists you as 'away without leave." Zefriel said.
"Right, 'Awol'…more like fallen." Vaggie said as she looked away with an angry expression.
"Fallen? Vaggie, what happened? How did you come to be here?" Zefriel asked.
Vaggie remains silent for a moment, a scowl on her face, before answering.
"On my last deployment as an Exorcist, I was…chasing a sinner…some kid. I cornered him in an alleyway but…I couldn't do it. I told him to run but Lute saw it. For that she cast me down. She Gouged out my eye, tore my wings off and left me for dead. If it wasn't for Charlie finding me after the slaughter…I don't know what would have happened to me." Vaggie said, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"That is…blood boiling. But, the Exorcist reports do mention you having wings." Zefriel said.
"They grew back." Vague said dismissively.
"May I see them?" asked Zefriel.
Vaggie is apprehensive for a moment, but obliges. She spreads her wings as far as she can.
"I see. They seem to have healed nicely. I am happy to see that. But,...where did you get the impression that you have fallen in some way?" asked Zefriel
"W…what do you mean?" Vaggie said, somewhat surprised.
"Vaggie, only the lord determines who has fallen. Lute and Adam have no say in the matter, despite what they would have liked to portray. You are free to return to Heaven, whenever you wish without fear. I can arrange it should you ever wish for it." Zefriel explained.
"No, I don't want to go back." Vaggie said firmly.
"I understand. Your new life is with Charlie, is it not? That is all fine as long as you understand and remember that the lord has not abandoned you, even if you have chosen your own path.
All the lord cares about is you being good. So long as you keep to that, you shall have the lord's blessing." Zefriel said.
Vaggie was silent for a moment. "I will keep that in mind…thanks."
"But speaking of Charlie and your life here. What is your opinion of her?" Zefriel asked.
"My opinion of her? She is…amazing. I have nothing but happy memories with her. From my lowest low to my highest high, she was always there for me." Vaggie said.
"Indeed, she does seem very pleasant to be around. But what about her leadership?" Zefriel asked.
"She…has ideas. Vision. But she…struggles to find the right path to her goal." Vaggie said hesitantly.
"I see. What about her father? What do you think of him? I understand that you met." Zefriel asked.
"Lucifer? He's…not like the stories. He is kind, charming and he loves Charlie." Vaggie replied.
"How long have you known him?" asked Zefriel.
"About a month and a half." Vaggie said.
"So you have not known him long. I would urge you to be cautious. It is true that some stories may be exaggerated or even outright lies, but that does not mean all are." Zefriel said. "I hope you don't mind but I do have an intrusive question about your time with the Exorcists so that I get a better reading of you as a person. I will understand if you do not wish to answer."
"4735." She answered as she looked away.
Zefriel paused. "I was not going to ask for a kill count."
"What then?" Vaggie asked.
"When Adam revealed your identity as an Exorcist, he showed footage of you in battle. What I would like to know is, why did you randomly decide to remove your Helmet in the middle of battle to reveal your face?" Zefriel asked.
"Excuse me? What does that have to do with anything?" she asked with an annoyed expression.
Zefriel was silent for a moment.
"Well, I need to know if that was a matter of pride. Were you trying to stand out from your former sisters as a warrior? Did you have a desire to be recognized for your skills in battle? Were you trying to impress your commanders?" Zefriel asked calmly.
Vaggie was silent, thinking to herself. "...Yes. I think it was…pride." She said, looking away with a sad, shamed expression. "I did want to be recognized for my work. I took pride in what I did. Now…it just haunts me."
"I see. Frankly that is not really something uncommon with warriors. But now I begin to suspect that Lute smit you out of jealousy on her part. She feared your rise and simply used your hesitation as an excuse to strike down what she perceived to be a rival. At least that is the impression that I get." Zefriel explained.
Vaggie was silent, thinking to herself.
"One last thing, Vaggie. Earlier when I asked about any threats to the hotel or Charlie, you hesitated. Why?" Zefriel asked calmly.
Vaggie seemed to want to say something, but remained silent.
"Vaggie, even the smallest threat can become a major danger if it is ignored or unknown. Please, let me know." Zefriel said.
"It's Alastor." Vaggie said.
"Ah, yes. The one with the…smile. You have keen instincts. But is there anything in particular?" Zefriel asked.
"Charlie…owes him a favor." Vaggie answered. "A favor that I'm afraid will cost her."
Zefriel raised an eyebrow. "How did she come to owe him a favor? Does she not realize the danger of owing a favor in hell? Is she oblivious to his…aura?" Zefriel asked.
"She was desperate to save her friends!" Vaggie snapped. "She did what she had to do to protect us! We had to find a way to defend ourselves from Exorcists!"
"I see. Has he mentioned what he wants in return?" Zefriel asked.
"No, that's the thing. He will ask one day…god knows what." Vaggie said.
"Vaggie, you are right to bring this up. The deals and favors, in Hell, are down right insidious. You saw how unwilling I was to get into any deal with Charlie despite her kind demeanor. Do not trust anyone's deal. This favor owed to Alastor will have to be resolved as soon as possible. But, out of curiosity, what did she receive in return for owing this favor?" Zefriel asked.
"He told her…that Exorcists can be killed with angelic steel." Vaggie said apprehensive.
"That is it? You mean to tell me that the man who, seemingly, risked his life with you in the defense against Adam could not tell Charlie that information without putting a hook into her? Does that make sense to you?" Zefriel said.
"...No." Vaggie said.
"Right. It clearly shows that he has ulterior motives. Motives that may be a danger to Charlie. You were right to bring this to my attention as this is a serious cause for concern." Zefriel said.
"What do you intend to do?" asked Vaggie.
"Would you mind being present while I have a chat with our friend Alastor?" Zefriel asked with a smile.
Niffty was busy with her usual chores, sweeping the floor, when Vaggie exited Zefriel's office.
"Hey Vaggie. How's the new guy?" Niffty asked as she approached Vaggie."Badboy we are hoping for?"
"Bad Boy you are hoping for." Vaggie corrected, with a smile. "But, no. He seems alright…for now."
"Dammit! I knew it." Niffty said, arms crossed, deep frown on her face, pretending to kick a pebble." I knew it was too good to hope for some decent bad guy coming over. Its some goodie two shoes as always"
Vaggie knelt in front of Niffty and whispered "Still, I need you to keep an eye on him. If you see him do anything suspicious, report it to me. Got that soldier?"
Niffty gave a military salute while nodding with a frown.
"Maybe you should introduce yourself too while you are here." Vaggie said as she opened the office door.
Niffty leaned around the side of the door. Looking inside.
"Ah, hello. You must be the lovely lady Niffty." Zefriel said as he stood up. "It is a plea…"
Zefriel fell silent as Niffty gave him a middle finger with a frown. Before running off to continue her chores.
Vaggie facepalmed at the sight. "Niffty…"
"The help…is not helpful." Zefriel thought to himself. "This place sucks."
Alastor confidently walked the streets of Pentagram City. He walked past shops and bars. Homes and dumps. Finally, he turned the corner and could see his destination. He looked at his pocket watch and, to his annoyance, realized he was on time.
"Alastor, darling!" A female voice surprised Alastor from behind.
"Rosie, my dear, how are you?" Alastor asked as he turned to see Rosie walking up to him.
"Oh, wonderful!" she said as she slid her arm under Alastors. "Amazing, even! The weapons that the lovely princess gave us are turning out to be invaluable in my expansion! You wouldn't believe how much ground I have gained over the last month."
"Oh but naturally my dear. Your poise for success coupled with the ability to extinguish the flames of your rivals once and for all is a recipe for success!" Alastor said.
Together in stride, they proceeded inside the elevator leading up to Carmilla's compound. The door opened to reveal other overlords waiting in the lobby. Alastor recognized Zeezi, Zestial and Incedio. They greeted each other with respectful nods and proceeded further into the building.
"How about you darling? Healing well I hope?" asked Rosie.
"Oh I'm fit as a fiddle! Hahaha." Alastor replied.
"Fit indeed." Rosie said with a light giggle as she gently rubbed her hand on Alastors arm. She noticed Alastor's smile waned ever so slightly at the contact and pulled away.
As they reached the meeting table, Alastor pulled out a chair for Rosie then sat beside her. The other overlords settled into their chairs as well.
All was quiet except the conspicuous sound of metal against stone. Carmilla approached and sat at the head of the table, flanked by her daughters Odette and Clara. Zestial, Alastor and Rosie sat to her right while Zeezi and Incendio sat to her Left.
"My fellow overlords, welcome." Carmilla said. "You have all been summoned here to discuss the shifting political landscape as a result of Princess Morningstar's victory against the angel assault."
A shockwave reverberated in the room as the large reptilian overlord Zeezi slammed her fist into her palm. "Fuck yeah! You guys rocked out there! About time someone shoved a fist up those angel asses!" Zeezi yelled as she looked at Rosie and Alastor.
"Oh it was truly our pleasure." Alastor said as he smiled at Rosie beside him. She gave a wide grin in return.
"Yes, well, now we must pick up the pieces and focus on the future." Carmilla said. "For better or for worse our position is certain to change. We must make sure that it is for the better."
"Oh things are definitely changing for the better. Now that we have a way to fight back, the angels will think twice before coming back. But honestly, I hope they do because I want to get in on the action!" Zeezi said as she slammed her chest with her fist.
A loud clanking of metal against glass could suddenly be heard by the meeting attendees.
Carmilla looked towards the source of the sound and saw a drone banging on the panoramic window of the meeting room.
"What do they want now…?" Carmilla said, annoyed by the interruption. The drone started tapping the glass again. Carmilla rolled her eyes at the annoyance and waved her hand at her daughter Clara who proceeded to open a side window, letting the drone inside.
The drone entered the room and unfolded a projector from its belly. It then began projecting on the far side of the wall, showing the silhouette of a television upon a man's body.
"Carmilla darling!" the TV headed demon spoke.
"Spare me the pleasantries Vox. What do you want?" Carmilla demanded.
"Oh you know exactly what I want. I want what I paid for. Where the fuck are the weapons we bought from you a month ago?!" Vox demanded to know.
"I have already explained to you that the deal is off. You have already been refunded for your order including a gratuity for the trouble. Now, be gone." Carmilla explained.
"To hell with your refund. I want what I asked for! Where the fuck is the shipment?!" Vox insisted.
"All available stockpiles have been redirected to a single weapons are out of my hands at this point." Carmilla said with narrowed eyes.
This seemed to surprise all the overlords present.
"What the hell do you mean out of your hands? Did you seriously sell my weapons to someone else?!" Vox yelled angrily.
"Yes, well. When you exposed the fact that angels could be killed with their own steel to all of Hell, far more influential demons than you rushed to purchase all the stock available. You are out of luck." Carmilla said coldly.
"Who the hell could possibly be buying everything?" Vox demanded.
"Lucifer." Carmilla said, disinterested in the ravings of Vox.
"LU…? FUCK!" Vox said. "How the hell are we supposed to defend ourselves from the cannibals with all the angel steel they have?! My guys are getting killed out there…permanently! They are pushing in on our turf in the inner city!" Vox yelled.
"Vox, you should have simply agreed to my terms." Rosie said with a giggled as Alastor grinned to his fullest.
"Oh fuck you bitch!" Vox yelled. "Just wait till my guys get a hold of some steel and then you can fuck off back to the 1900's".
"Now, Vox. Is this any way to speak to a lady?" Alastor said to Vox with a malicious grin, as one of his shadowy tentacles held a rather familiar angelic dagger behind him, tossing it, flipping it, playing with it.
"That sounds like a problem for you to figure out Vox. My hands are tied at present. But don't worry, the supply of angelic steel will soon be replenished and you will be able to bid on it." Carmilla said.
"What do you mean bid?" Vox asked.
"Yes, bid. Everyone in the Pride ring wants angelic steel, including Lucifer. Due to this rising demand, all future purchases shall be sold as metal Billet's to the highest bidder." Carmilla said.
"How the hell are we supposed to compete with him?! Do you have any idea how many souls he has?" demanded Vox.
"Perhaps you are forgetting that I run a business. I do not care who buys the product…so long as the price is right." Carmilla said with a sly smile.
"Are we sure we can allow Lucifer to hoard all the angelic steel?" Asked Incendio, an overlord that seemed made of blue fire, sporting antlers. "If he is arming himself with angelic weapons en masse, would any of us be able to stand against his hellborn forces? Can you imagine a legion of his Hell Knights armed with angelic steel? Who amongst us could endure such an onslaught? We would either perish or be forced to bow low to his will. Unacceptable. Carmilla, we cannot allow Lucifer to become dominant with these weapons. It completely tilts the balance of power.
"Do not expect charity from me." Carmilla said. "I have no intention of changing my mind."
"Perhaps there is a way to compete with Lucifer." Said Zestial "Overlords can pool their funds together and then ,assuming they win the bid, divide the angelic steel proportionally to the funds they each invested in the money pool for the bid."
"Cooperation amongst overlords?" Incendio asked.
"We have done so before. I do agree that we need to maintain the balance of power between ourselves and our…beloved King." said Zestial.
"All the more reason to bid high, eh Carmilla?" Alastor said.
"I don't know. Lucifer has always been cool with us. Why would he change all of a sudden." asked Zeezi.
"These unprecedented times might force him to act in an unprecedented way." Zestial said. "Things have changed a lot in this past month. First, the Exorcists attack his daughter. Not him, his daughter of all people. Second, that attacking force was defeated for the first time since the Exterminations began a thousand years ago, killing Adam. I believe that Lucifer is preparing for war. For that reason he may decide that having independent vassals in his kingdom to be too much of a risk and curtail our independence. Nothing is certain, we should prepare for the worst. No matter what happens, we will do well to arm ourselves."
"The hell kind of good that will do if we are still at each other's necks all the time." Said Zeezi.
"Indeed, to that extent I propose we agree to a cease fire amongst ourselves for the near future. These are uncertain times, we would do best to avoid striking each other." Zestial said.
"Hah, sounds like you are trying to form an alliance of some sort Zestial." Alastor said. "And I suppose that you would also wish to be the head of said alliance of overlords, hmm?"
"Would you rather be the face of defiance against Lucifer my dear friend?" Zestial replied.
"Oh, I think I already have enough on my plate when dealing with the royal family." Alastor replied. "I think I will pass…thank you. But do call me when you have a position open as the head of your little…alliance." Alastor said as he got up and began walking towards the exit door.
"Well if he is out, then I'm IN." yelled Vox. "But that bitch has to stop pushing us out of the Inner City district!"
"Hmph. No promises are made." Rosie said as she scoffed at Vox.
The remaining Overlords began arguing amongst themselves as Alastor exited the conference entrance door.
A portal within the Council chamber opened and 3 men and a woman stepped out.
"Apologies for the tardiness." Said the man leading the group. He was a bald man of very dark complexion with golden eyes.
"Lord Uriel, good evening," said Avis.
"It was not my fault, I swear!" Exclaimed the woman. She was a fair skinned woman with flaming red eyes that matched her long flowing hair in color.
"Nefriel, you are the one who insisted we try that new cafe at St Luke's square, despite the line being a mile long!" Said the olive skinned man walking behind her. He had emerald eyes, short hair and a well kept goatee.
"Oh come on, Azrael! Just admit that the carrot cake was worth the wait!" Nefriel said as she found her seat.
The third man sat to the right of Avis. He was a man of light complexion sporting short white hair and dark brown eyes. He physically towered over the other archangels, just as Prince Avis towered over him in turn. He carried a stern face that seemed carved out of the finest marble. He looked at Emily as he placed a cake box in front of himself, opening it to reveal white chocolate chip cookies.
"Oh Dornael, you shouldn't have!" Avis said as he tried to reach for the box, only to be soundly slapped on his hand by Dornael's. Avis retreated his hand and blew his it in an attempt to cool the pain.
"Avis, these are not for you. They are for our most esteemed lady seraph.'
"Aww, thank you Dornael!" Emily said as she grabbed a cookie and munched in delight, sitting on Dornael's lap.
"They are your favorite, as you said." Dornael said.
Nefriel looked at Raphael and Gabriel sitting quietly, seeming perturbed.
"Friends, are you alright? You look upset." Nefriel asked.
They remained silent, simply looking at Avis with expressions that did not make their feelings shown one way or another.
Nefriel followed their gaze onto Avis, feeling something was amiss. "What did you do this time?" she asked Avis with a concerned face.
"Well, I just so happen to have met a wonderful girl…aaaaaand I'm getting married." Avis said with a smile.
"Holy shit, about time! Who's the unlucky girl?" asked Nefriel with a smug expression.
"Oh her name is Charlotte…Morningstar…princess of Hell." Avis said sheepishly.
Nefriel's eyes opened so wide they seemed like they were about to pop out of their sockets. The rest sat in uncomfortable silence. Even Dornael and Emily sat quietly, cookies in mouths, seeming afraid to make a sound.
Dornael broke the silence as he spoke to Emily. "Emily, dear. I believe it would be best if you left. Please take the remainder of the cookies and enjoy them to the fullest."
Emily looked at Avis who gave a gentle pat and nod.
"Y…yes. Esteemed archangels, have a good evening." Emily said as she bowed courtly before creating a portal and leaving through it.
Nefriel stood up and slammed her palms on the table. "Avis what are yo…" Nefriel's question was interrupted
"Shroud us." Avis said as he looked at Azrael, his friendly expression replaced by a very serious one.
Azrael held his hand out and a black mist began to circle the council. It enveloped them all, seeming to create an impenetrable barrier of darkness between them and the outside world. They could no longer see the walls or ceiling of the chamber. The lights of their halos were all that emitted light in the eye of the swirling mist.
"We are secure from prying eyes and ears." Azrael said as Nefriel sat back down.
"Is this the plan you were working on? Are you trying to seduce Lucifer's daughter?" Asked Uriel.
"No, I have no interest in seducing her. This engagement is nothing more than a pretext to get into contact with her and establish a more permanent foothold in Hell for future missions. To that extent, it was a complete success. We now have someone staying at the hotel being run by the princess. Our work can begin, proper." Avis said, a serious expression on his face.
"Is that it? You might have done that without a marriage? Why go through all the trouble?" asked Gabriel
"Well…I do hope to fuck with Lucifer a bit." Avis said with a smile. "But, jokes aside, I am also hoping to nudge Lilith from her hidey-hole. I wager she will loathe the idea of her only daughter being married off to the prince of the enemy kingdom. This might just be the thing that causes her to have an emotional response, forcing her hand to make a move.
"I assume you have not made our intentions known to the princess? asked Azrael.
"No. I have led her to believe that our council is advocating for further exorcist attacks. I offered her this fake marriage proposal as a means of blocking the council's attacks due to fear of conflict with me." Avis Explained.
"Ah, so you made us look like blood thirsty maniacs and yourself as the goody two shoes prince that just wants to do the right thing. That's pretty low." Nefriel said, seeming very irritated at the prospect.
"It worked." Avis said.
"How do you intend to handle Lucifer?" Uriel asked.
"I do not intend to rock the boat too much. I should be able to avoid conflict with him for now." Avis said.
"All this to get to Lilith? Remember, we are not even sure if she is in any way involved with the missing weapons." Uriel said.
"She is the only piece that is not yet on the board, Uriel. I acknowledge the wisdom of your words, but we have to make sure no stone is unturned. Speaking of the weapons, have you completed the inventory of the armories?" Avis asked.
"Yes, we have gone through the armories again. Weapons are still going missing. Someone is stealing them. And in increasingly substantial quantities." Azrael said
"To think, a traitor in our own ranks…I still refuse to believe it." Nefriel said.
"Speaking of traitors, I would also like you to increase the surveillance of lady seraph Sera. She knew about Emily being in hell at the meeting far too soon for my liking." Avis said.
"We already know she makes contact with Lucifer through covert means for secret diplomacy. Her finding out is not surprising, but we shall do as requested." Dornael said.
"Excellent." Avis said. "On a more cheerful note, how is Sir Pentious coming along?"
"He is sweet as sugar." Nefriel said. "He passed every test and we are certain they have no hooks into him. I have no fear advocating for his introduction into the wider public. On that note, have you any news about the hotel?"
"Not yet. I have not yet been able to ascertain how viable it is for reform of sinners. I will have more to report in the next meeting." Avis said.
"Your agent is dangerously close to the princess and by extension Lucifer. Are you sure it's wise and necessary?" Raphael asked.
"Yes it is. There is no telling who would want to prevent sinners being redeemed. I fear even her father might be a danger to her. If that is the case, someone needs to be close to her to defend her." Avis said.
"Who did you send that could protect her from Lucifer himself?" Uriel asked.
Avis' only response to that question was a sly smile.
End of chapter 5