《Game of Hell》 Prologue- An Empty Throne ¡°Let there be Famine, let there be Disease. Let Greed feed off of Lust and Pride. Let Sloth not slow Envy and Gluttony. Let Wrath lead the Sins as Hell¡¯s Voice echos. Let there be War. Let there be Death.¡± The deep voice echoed around the now silent room. The final word was punctuated by a blast of energy that washed across the room, the black marble walls shaking slightly. Thanatos was already walking across the room, her tall, slim frame towering over the short redhead¡¯s. Low, harsh whispering began, accompanied by several glares on Romena¡¯s part and some clenched fists on Thanatos¡¯s. With braziers the only lighting, some would find it hard to see in the dark room. Drake however, like all the other creatures in this world, had enhanced hearing and eyesight, making it easy to read the tension written on the two women. Guessing from the lack of Thanatos¡¯s usual impassive attitude, Drake didn¡¯t think he was the only one who was in the dark on who, or what, caused the mysterious voice and the powerful force that swept through Hell¡¯s castle just moments ago. Outside of the small meeting chamber, chaos began in the halls. The sound of running feet and a few shouts drifted to the four occupants in the room. Kasandra, Drake¡¯s second and the only other Sin in the room, sensed the approaching form and was across the room with a small dagger by the time the servant burst into the room. With the blade at her throat, a plumb humanoid figure with blue skin and purple horns tried to calm her laboring breathing. ¡°Out with it,¡± Romena barked, snapping her fingers in front of the servants face, giving the daemon no time before demanding answers. Fear in her eyes, the trembling surf looked at Thanatos, the well known leader of the Horsemen, and told her what had happened. The next few seconds seemed to pass in slow motion. With few words, Thanatos ordered Drake and Kasandra to return to their private chambers, not breathe a word of this to anyone, and to await further orders. Without another word the two generals of Hell left the room with the small daemon leading the way. A few seconds passed as the clacking of boots against marble faded. Slowly, almost fearing that it was too good to be true, Kasandra faced her leader and gave a wicked smile. And the Sin of Wrath gave an answering smile that could make entire armies quake in fear. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ~ In. Out. In. Out. Thanatos kept the chant up in her head, reminding herself over and over that she needed to breath. To distract herself from what was happening, this can¡¯t be real, she did what she was trained to do: command. ¡°I want the realms on lockdown. No one is to come in or out. All guardians should be on high alert.¡± Romena nodded, sending dark pixies that appeared to be no more than little black balls of light to obey Thanatos¡¯s commands. ¡°I also want all members of the court Council in the great hall immediately.¡± Romena looked at her commander at this, her face scrunched up in distaste. ¡°Most members of the council are asleep at the moment.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± the warrior snapped. ¡°This is of highest importance. No one is to leave the castle and all high level personnel will be in the Great Hall within ten minutes.¡± Sensing her companions growing temper, the War left with few parting words. In. Out. Now alone, the immortal warrior felt the first signs of panic set in. In. Out. With a few deep breaths, she followed the black and white marble halls to the Great Hall. I am Thanatos, daughter of Lucifer and one of the four great Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I can handle this. Her leather boots made little noise on the floor as she entered the Great Hall but her presence was enough to silence the previously loud hall. The many types of demons, fae, spirits of the dead, and other such creatures parted and bowed, letting Thanatos pass. She took in the room within a few moments. Tall pillars of red quartz broke up the black and white marble walls. Outside the picture windows on the walls the sky was dark save for the lit braziers. At the head of the room, on a slightly raised platform, stood the 7 Deadly Sins with the other three Horsemen next to them. They all gave a short bow as Thanatos walked up and brushed pass them without a word. Facing the gathered crowd, Death herself took a final breath and spoke. ¡°King Lucifer is dead.¡± Chapter 1- The Chaos that Follows Immediate chaos. A few of the minor court members fainted and one even screamed. Several of the rulers shared glances from where they stood near the front. Romena fought to roll her eyes from where she stood. She had known Thanatos since she was born, and she would only ever obey her commands, but as many talents as Death had, easing into rough subjects wasn¡¯t one of them. A group of young women came forward. There was half a dozen of them and their slim bodies and long black hair marked them as water druids. One stepped forward and dipped her head as the rest bowed low to the Horsemen. The dark green tattoos covering this one''s all to apparent body marked her as their chief. ¡°M¡¯lady,¡± her voice was sweet like honey but had an edge that made Romena tense. Her name was Diana, if War was to recall correctly. ¡°Are you certain?¡± A dangerous, dangerous thing for a lowly druid to say to one of the most powerful people in Hell, second only to the King. ¡°Are you questioning me, Deania?¡± Eh, I was close enough to her name, Romena thought with an internal shrug. Deania tried, and failed, to hide her tensing body under the hard look from Thanatos. It was well known how short of a temper the woman had. What happened to those who displeased her, however, was just a jumble of rumors which suggested you¡¯d rather face Medusa. In the crowd a few shifted from foot to foot while some of the more bloodthirsty ones whispered hopes for the druid to be dismembered. The general unrest and undisciplined court members were a stark contrast to those standing behind Thanatos. All the Sins stood quietly, watching what was happening with keen eyes that searched for any and all weaknesses. Disease, with his tall frame and dark hair, watched with an expression of disinterest, his hands in the pockets of his well fitted black pants. Famine stood next to him, her short wavy hair framing a face written with hatred. War continued reading the room, trying to sense for any hidden enemies who might do her commander harm. Which was a hard thing to find when almost all creatures in the kingdom wanted Death dead for one reason or another. And finally Death just watched the dark haired woman with a straight back, loose hair and a carefully blank face. With a deep breath Deania said slowly, ¡°M¡¯lady, it¡¯s just that, His Majesty is known to play pranks.¡± Murmurs of agreement spread through the Hall. Lifting her head from looking down on the druid, Thanatos addressed the entire group, ¡°This is no prank. I checked myself, King Lucifer is truly dead.¡± A few intakes of breath was the only thing that broke the silence that followed. The next minute seemed to take an eternity to pass. No one moved, no one said a word. No one wanted to acknowledge what had just been said. And then- ¡°Who takes the throne now?¡± It was a small boy with scale covered skin and glowing eyes. He was a servant of Medusa, Lady of the 8th Realm, Kufir. With that one question all the silence was destroyed. Members that sat on the King¡¯s Council and minor nobles alike began shouting, all demanding answers. ¡°How did he die?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Who killed him?¡± ¡°Is this even possible?¡± ¡°What was the voice?¡± Romena allowed a slow blink as the only sign of her surprise. Stepping forward, War raised her arm above her head, her fighting leathers shifting with the movement. It took longer than it normally would, but within a few moments the Hall was silent again. ¡°Who asked about the voice?¡± At her question, the Ruler of the 3rd Realm, Thymos, stepped forward. Alecto¡¯s short red hair, long black talon nails, and leather wings resembling that of a bat¡¯s marked her as one of the three furies. Behind her, her tipped tail whipped back and forth, dripping poison on the no longer polished floor. ¡°We all heard it,¡± She spoke with a harsh voice that dripped with patronization, and the fury gave a head dipped that was all to shallow for Romena¡¯s liking. ¡°Was it heard all over Hell?¡± Gabriel asked, stepping forward from where he and Luna had been standing. Disease and Famine also seemed to radiate dislike for the Ruler. ¡°Yes,¡± answered Hulda, the goddess who ruled the 6th Realm, Alzna, as she swept forward. Her head dip was equally as shallow and disrespectful as Alecto¡¯s. Giving a quick look at Romena, Thanatos turned and began issuing commands. All people who were in the castle were to remain there until proven innocent. As Death continued to take control of the issue, Romena let herself drift into her mind Who would do this? No, that wasn¡¯t the only question. Who could do this? Most creatures thought Lucifer was invincible. They¡¯d seen him drink poison, bathe in the Cursed Pool, and have his head removed. Everyone knew that he had to have a weakness, everyone does and his sister, Nyx, had been killed several millennia ago. But only Thanatos and Lucifer himself knew what that weakness was. No, that¡¯s not true. Common sense dictated that Hades, Lucifer¡¯s father, would know. Which means it could be assumed that at least some of the gods and goddesses knew how to kill Lucifer. The war general¡¯s gaze fell to Hulda, one of the few goddesses here. But no, that didn¡¯t make sense. Hulda was a low ranked goddess. No great gods would ever tell her such things. A few people could play this incident to their advantage, but who would cause it? Caesar and Hitler, two of the Spirit Judges, had always hated Lucifer for not giving them higher ranks but they wouldn¡¯t be able to orchestrate this. Gabriel and Luna, the only two other Horsemen, would never do this, they had no interest in Lucifer¡¯s death as it caused only problems for them. The Seven Deadly Sins, as annoying as they were they wouldn¡¯t cause such a thing. Not when they had been given so much- But they would. They had always, always, wanted more. They had always hated the Horsemen for being more powerful and commanding them. And they were smart. They were conniving and they fed off of chaos and disaster. And what better way to cause an uproar then to kill the King? This would provide the perfect setting for a coup. Everyone would be busy looking for an outside assassin they wouldn¡¯t think to look at the Sins. Realizing that Thanatos had finished giving orders, Romena fell into step behind her. As she walked past them, War looked at the Sins. And Drake, Wrath himself who was never happy except when bathed in the blood of his enemies, gave her a smile that made her want to run in fear. With a jolt, she realized what this meant, what was coming for them all. Drake seemed to realize this same thing because, with mirroring smiles, they both spoke at the same time. ¡°See you on the battlefield,¡± Chapter 2- Hells Sins Kasandra watched with the rest of the room as the Four Horsemen made their way out. As soon as the door was closed behind them, everyone raised themselves from the bows they had been in and broke into groups. High ranking court members whispered into the ears of their allies and spies, the Nine Rulers quickly left the room to undoubtedly contrive some plan to take advantage of the situation. It was clear from the large amount of harsh whispers and general gesturing that everyone was in an uproar about this. The Sins all shared a quick look before dispersing. Sheira and Morcan, two women you''d never want to anger based on the throwing knives strapped all over Envy¡¯s body and the trident in Gluttony¡¯s hand, wrapped arms around each other''s waists¡¯ and strode off into the crowd. Drake went up to a gathered group of low nobility and began speaking, no doubt attempting to gather information on the situation. Erik, looking all the world like a sweet little boy, ran off to do only he knew what. Adrut took a step back and transformed into an average looking servant, and headed to spy on the residents in the Great Hall. With a sweet smile, Lust linked arms with Droca, the only other Sin still close to her. Pushing her generous chest closer to him, she gave an invitation to her bed. Not missing a beat, Greed gave a sultry smile to match hers and began to head out of the hall. To the rest of the room, it seemed normal. It was well known that sexual activities actually empowered Lust and it wasn¡¯t unusual for one of her fellow Sins to indulge in her short, curvy frame and beautiful face. After they stepped into a side hall, the braziers casting dancing shadows over the black and white marble walls and floor, the two immortals continued the act, even pressing closer as they whispered into each other''s ears. ¡°Do you have any idea if this is true?¡± Kasandra began, her hands rubbing lazy circles on Droca¡¯s exposed arm. ¡°If Thanatos says it¡¯s true then it must be,¡±. Greed let his eyes drift down to the cleavage that Kasandra¡¯s simple black tunic did nothing to hide. ¡°You take everything Thana says as truth now?¡± Her voice was dripping with mockery and even a little disappointment at her companions naivety. ¡°Don''t be stupid,¡± he snapped. He lowered his voice even more as a servant walked past. ¡°I would sooner listen to the sphinx from Anwir than Death. But, as much as he loved to play pranks, His Highness would tell at least his second the truth.¡± Giving a small demon that walked by a suspicious look, Kasandra breathed, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Rolling his eyes, Droca gave an exasperated, ¡°Come on Kas,¡± before she continued. ¡°Do you remember that time he got a bunch of shape shifters to look like the Nine Rulers and hanged them? He left their bodies in front of the castle gates and it took three days for the actual Rulers to speak up and say they were actually alive! Thana didn''t know about that and it nearly sent Hell into chaos.¡± Giving a weird look, Droca waited for her to realize what she had just said. With a huff she amended, ¡°Ya, okay so Hell is always full of chaos because it¡¯s Hell, but you know what I mean. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Luc- I mean His Majesty faked his own death for shits and giggles.¡± Kas looked around to confirm they were alone as they turned a corner. It wasn''t smart to be discussing something like this in the open. If working with Adrut had taught her anything it was that you are never safe from spies. ¡°We¡¯ll see what Drake thinks about all this,¡± Kas felt Greed¡¯s body shift as his free arm snaked out and grabbed something from a passing daemon with green skin and black tattoos. With an all too satisfied smirk, Droca dangled a diamond bracelet in front of Lust¡¯s face before pocketing it. With an amused snort Kas let her companion lead her to the small mansion that housed the Seven Deadly Sins of Hell. Taking the final turn that gave way to the outside path, the two took deep breaths, enjoying the red and gold trees that brought them to the dark wooden, 15 bedroom home that served as their private quarters. Droca and Kas jumped to avoid the faulty step that led to a pit of lava not to far below to ground. The door opened with a loud creak, a defense to alert the Sins if someone enters. Markings writing in blood around the door flashed red and sent an alert to all the Sins that two forms had entered the building. Based on the alerts that had gone out earlier, four Sins had already arrived. The building that had been a gift from Lucifer upon their appointment of Colonels of Hell. And since they had moved in, they had turned the small mansion into an impenetrable fortress, including trap doors, hidden rooms, and magical alarm systems tied directly to the Sins blood and life force. The dark wood continued inside the building to form long hallways that confused most people. There was no braziers or any other lighting on the walls as the Sins preferred the darkness that often enhanced their powers. Walking with a touch more relaxation, Lust and Greed took a series of turns that led them to stairs and doors and even more turns until they finally came upon a door that led to a staircase that went deeper underground than any of the previous ones. The narrow staircase, littered with trip wires and more faulty steps, opened up to reveal a circular chamber filled with a long table and high backed chairs. The secret meeting chamber of the Sins revealed more about themselves than they probably realized. The table wasn¡¯t circular like that in King Arthur''s tale, instead it was long and square and the fact that only one head of the table was occupied revealed all outsiders needed to know about the rankings among the Seven Sins. All the chairs were high backed with comfy padding, something Sloth and Greed had no doubt demanded. There was a bowl of pomegranates at each end of the table and glasses filled with different liquids in front of each person. Besides the table the only other thing that occupied the room was a small cabinet that was stocked with more drinks and pomegranates in the event they were to need a refill. Taking her seat at Drake¡¯s right, as he was seated at the head of the table it was clear what position he held to the Sins, Kas released her companion¡¯s arm. Droca, took his seat on his commander''s left. Morcan, with her clinking gold jewelry, slightly plumb and otherwise plain form took up Kas¡¯s other side and Sheira, with her slim build and short, blond hair took up her place as the lowest female member of the Sins. On the other side of the table, Erik sat next to Droca, his swinging legs and bored expression said all he needed to to communicate his opinions of the situation. The seat next to him was empty. A few minutes of silence later, Adrut finally entered and took his seat as the lowest ranking Sin next to Erik. Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Envy, Greed, Pride, and finally Sloth. The Seven Deadly Sins of Hell were all assembled. The room vibrated with unseen power that few would dare oboes. ¡°How nice of you to bless us with your presence,¡± Kas said, the first to break the silence. ¡°I was covering up the disaster Erik made. I apologize if my tardiness offended you, oh great demon,¡± Adrut swirled his glass of ambrosia, not sounding apologetic at all, as Sheira¡¯s head swung to that of Pride¡¯s. ¡°What did you do this time you little fox?¡± Envy¡¯s voice was full of undisguised distaste at the undoubted disaster Erik had caused. Looking all the world like a cute little boy, Pride said with his most innocent face, ¡°Why me? I would never do anything that would hurt people. I came here as soon as I could get away without being followed,¡± sadly, as was his nature, the kitsune couldn¡¯t keep his face looking serious for long, and soon his mouth split to form a sly grin. ¡°What does it matter what he did?¡± Droca asked, draining his glass of the bitter wine he enjoyed. ¡°He always makes disasters, this must be nothing different.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need attention being drawn to us, you fool,¡± Morcan snapped, her trident banging on the floor at her irritation. ¡°With what just happened we will be the first people look to. We have to maintain a low profile.¡± ¡°Look who¡¯s being a fool now,¡± Erik jumped in, his blue eyes flashing, ¡°If we change our persona¡¯s now it¡¯ll draw more attention. We have to keep going like nothing¡¯s changed or else people will really notice us. Me setting Medusa¡¯s hair on fire is nothing new.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°You set her hair on fire?!¡± Sheira shrieked in outrage, having hated the little fox that had continuously played pranks that had led to some serious damage to her hair and face that had taken forever to repair, this was just another thing that made her want to throw one of the knives even now strapped to her legs in his cute boyish face. ¡°Isn¡¯t her hair made of snakes?¡± Morcan asked, her outrage at him drawing attention to them temporarily forgotten at her curiosity¡¯s demand. Kasandra sat back in her chair, knowing from past experiences that it would take awhile for them to settle down and that she should just enjoy the show while it lasted. Besides, Sheira rarely spoke up this much and it was nice to see one of her friends get fired up. ¡°Yes, but snakes can still be set on fire,¡± Erik responded, sounding all the world like he was discussing the morning¡¯s meal and not setting one of the Nine Rulers¡¯ hair on fire. The room fell quiet for a few more seconds as they all contemplated the image of Medusa running around with her hair on fire. The silence, however, did not last. With a shake of her head that resembled more like that of a cat¡¯s instead of a kraken¡¯s, Morcan began lecturing Erik again about how they needed to lie low, with Sheira joining in everyone now and again. Droca, however, took Pride¡¯s side and soon the four were all arguing about the best way to ¡°lay low¡± after the recent incident. It escalated quickly however and soon weapons began to be drawn. ¡°Come on you over grown squid, let¡¯s see what your flailing can do.¡± Droca taunted, his spear that had been resting against his chair now in his hand as he stood up, sending his chair skirting backwards. ¡°Trust me, you stupid bird brain, I can do a lot more than you,¡± Morcan responded, her trident in her arm and ready to defend from any fire the phoenix might send her way. ¡°Enough!¡± Drake shouted, stopping the fight before it could really get started. ¡°Sit down, all of you. We have work to do.¡± Envy and Pride, who had been ready to rip each other to pieces, sat down and took long sips of their blood filled cups. With huffs and a few more insults, Droca and Morcan relaxed as well. They had all been so focused on the fights and each other that none had noticed that Adrut, the one who had mentioned Erik¡¯s prank in the first place, had stayed silent with a satisfied look for the past several minutes. ¡°Report,¡± Wrath ordered with a head jerk in Sloth¡¯s direction. With a small nod, the leshy began giving his report, and everyone around the table sat forward over the table to better hear what was happening. ¡°First as for the minor happenings. Some of the minor nobility are wondering if one of the Rulers will take Lucifer¡¯s place as king which would leave an opening in the ranks of the Nine. They¡¯re hoping that if this were to occur they could bribe and suck up enough to whoever takes the throne that they could be appointed as a Ruler. Most of the minors have already begun sucking up and trying to manipulate the Nine in the event this would happen.¡± ¡°Unlikely,¡± Morcan pointed out. ¡°The Nine are too smart to be so easily manipulated,¡± Droca agreed. The rest of the group nodding. ¡°True,¡± Drake pointed out, ¡°But the Rulers could find these minors useful for some plot of their own. We will need to watch them.¡± ¡°Of course commander,¡± Adrut then continued, ¡°Next on to the Nine themselves. As far as I can tell, some have found that being named King wouldn¡¯t be possible so they are currently forming plans to change the entire government system itself.¡± ¡°Explain¡± Kasandra ordered. ¡°They are hoping for a oligarchy. They believe if they can cause it to be government by a small group, which would be the Nine, then all the Rulers would have a say and would vote on issues. I¡¯ve found that those who plan on causing this change are planning to do so with a few other Rulers. They all plan to betray each other eventually but as for right now, they need each other so they are working together.¡± ¡°A government ruled liked that would leave lots of room for one of the Nine to take control through threats and bribes.¡± Erik pointed out. ¡°They probably want that. They most likely think after this government is put into use they can take over and make whatever changes they want,¡± Morcan added as she contemplated the different ways such a thing could be played to any number of advantages. Receiving a nod from Drake, Sloth went on with his report. ¡°Next comes the Spirit Judges,¡± Sheira raised her eyebrows at that. The Spirit Judges were the three spirits that judged all spirits that entered the underworld and then decided what Realm they were sent to. They had little political power but were still an important part of the system on which Hell rested upon. ¡°Caesar and Hitler seem to believe that they can use Lucifer¡¯s death to their advantage. How, I don¡¯t know. They were careful not to speak to much. ¡°And next, Thanatos and the Horsemen.¡± The Sins sat up straighter, they all knew the Horsemen were the biggest players in this game. ¡°After the meeting in the Great Hall they went to the scene of the crime.¡± ¡°Where was it?¡± Drake asked, his voice lashing out without an ounce of hesitation. ¡°His bedroom.¡± Adrut answered easily, ¡°I was unable to gain entrance to the room but I overheard some of the discussion. Apparently, his body was melted.¡± ¡°Melted?¡± Sheira asked in surprise. She shared a look with Morcan in wonder of how such a thing would occur. ¡°Melted,¡± Sloth confirmed. ¡°From what I can gather they believe it was poison that caused this. They aren¡¯t sure what kind of poison could affect one such as him but they believe poison or some potion of sorts to be the only possible way for him to be affected.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s really dead? This isn¡¯t just some prank?¡± Kasandra asked, still wondering if this was just some big joke on all of them. The King, after all, was known for his intense pranks. And faking his own death seemed like something he would do, just to see what would happen afterwards. ¡°Guessing on what I overheard, they have positively identified it as him. How, I couldn¡¯t figure out.¡± The spy continued, now directing his attention at the head of the table, ¡°They were just about to discuss their next plan of action when I received word about the Medusa incident,¡± most of the party members shot Erik glares that would¡¯ve sent lesser creatures fleeing. He, however, could never have been more proud of his accomplishment that had caused even more chaos then he had planned. ¡°Anything else?¡± Wrath said, his voice taking on that somber quality it did when he wasn¡¯t really paying attention because he was too busy contemplating the best course of action for him and his followers to take. Knowing that no matter what he said, he wouldn¡¯t get Drake¡¯s attention again, Adrut shook his head and sat down. He knew that his part was finished and that, as the lowest ranking Sin, his opinions on the movements of each player didn¡¯t matter. As such, he settled into his chair and simply sipped from his ambrosia filled glass with searching eyes and a blank expression. Each Sin taking on contemplative looks, the room remained silent save for nails clicking against the tabletop and drinks being swirled in goblets. They all knew that one wrong move on their part could lead to them being killed. As powerful as they were, considering they each had another form that reflected what Sin and personality they had and these forms tended to be less humanoid and even more powerful, they could still be killed. They had to be careful what moves they made to help them get to their goal. Each of the Seven had their own wants but what was most important, what would put them on a specific path, was whatever their commander deemed their goal. And Drake hadn¡¯t spoken yet so they all waited patiently for him to come to his own conclusion. All of them knew that these things couldn¡¯t be rushed, so they waited, even as minutes ticked by in silence. Finally, Drake stood and addressed his gathered comrades. ¡°Eons ago, we were born from the intense emotions of Nyx. We were merely an afterthought to her, and those around her, back then.¡± A few of the Sins clenched their jaws at remembering what it was like to live in the mind of another, to have your very choices taken from you. ¡°And after we took on solid forms, after we fed on her hatred and anger so much that we became our own creatures with our own emotions, we were still an afterthought. For years upon years upon years, we have been looked down on,¡± Drake¡¯s voice became harsher as his own emotions and temper became harder for him to control. ¡°We have been commanded to do the dirty work of nobilmen and Rulers alike. We have had to scrape and bow to lesser creature after lesser creature.¡± Drake took a breath here, pausing for what seemed to be an eternity before continuing. ¡°But no more. No. More. Lucifer, the master that has held on to us and commanded us for so long is gone. The Horsemen can¡¯t control us, not when they¡¯re too busy looking for Lucifer¡¯s murderer. This is it. The perfect time to make our own moves. It¡¯s time we break the collars that have so long kept us.¡± The eyes¡¯ of the rest of the Sins were all bright and fierce. All of them picturing what it would be like to finally be free. ¡°This Game of Hell has been played by nobility and Rulers and Horsemen for eons. And I think it¡¯s time we joined in and played.¡± His speech done, Drake waited. He, like the rest of them, had been a slave to a master, and as such had never forced a choice on them. They had chosen to follow him all these years. Wrath had proven himself time and time again and his leadership and powers were what made the other six follow him no matter what. So, even though they thought about all that he said, and all that it implied, they knew what they would say instantly. Kasandra, the undisputed second and the one who had connected with each of the Sins personally, spoke for all of them. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan boss?¡± Something like relief flickered across his face but was soon replaced with cool calculation and a gleaming spark of excitement. And so, Drake, Dragon Sin of Wrath and commander of the Seven Deadly Sins, told them his plan. And at the end, they all shared a secret toast to their soon to be achieved freedom and a silent promise that they would never serve another master again. Chapter 3- The First Questions Thanatos closed the door of her bedroom. Finally alone in her black and ivory coloured room, Death relaxed with a sigh. Away from the eyes of servants and nobility alike, she allowed the mask of immovability she always wore to fall. Quickly blinking away the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes, the young woman moved to her bathing chamber and quickly removed her simple blouse and pants. As she had instructed the servants, her tub was already filled with steaming water that she promptly slid into. Letting the steam wrap around her aching body, she slid further into the claw foot tub. Closing her eyes, Thanatos reflected over all that had occurred since she had left the Great Hall ten hours before. - The four sets of heels clicked against the floor, setting a grueling pace that the train of servants and attendants had to follow. Thanatos listened to the bland servant as she told the Four Horsemen of how she found Lucifer. Kia, the servant, had headed to Lucifer¡¯s room to inform him of a guest he had. After he hadn¡¯t answered her knocking, she¡¯d peeked her head in to see if he was even in his room. As soon as the door opened she had smelled something...amiss. The daemon, like all of her kind, had enhanced senses and as such the smell, which was heavy to those with normal senses such as the Thanatos, nearly overwhelmed her. Kia took one step in the room and saw what was on the floor. She immediately went to Thanatos. ¡°Who was the guest?¡± Romena asked, her voice contemplative and calculating. Luna and Gabriel sped up and took the lead as they reached the wing of the castle that held Lucifer¡¯s chambers. The culprit had yet to be found or even identified and the Horsemen had always been trained to protect the highest ranking members of Hell. Now, that was Thanatos. ¡°Angels, your Grace,¡± Kia said, ¡°I¡¯m not certain but I believe his companion addressed one of them as Zachariah.¡± Thanatos hid her distaste from the many prying eyes but Romena was not as talented in such things. Her lips curled back and her pretty face turned into a sneer. Zachariah was well known as one of the most cutthroat and strongest angels still in existence. Long ago, angels were created by Cronus to serve him and do his dirty work. After he took over, Zeus had most of them killed. But, being the god that he was, Zeus kept some as his personal task force to do whatever he commanded them to. Zachariah, knowing that the Olympian gods were stronger than some Titans, had switched loyalties, if you can call them that, even before Cronus had been defeated. ¡°Why were they here?¡± Thanatos demanded, not pausing as they took the final turn that led to the door to Lucifer¡¯s room. ¡°I don¡¯t know, your Grace. They simply demanded to see His Majesty. I believe they are still here.¡± Thanatos opened her mouth to no doubt demand something else of Kia but all of her thoughts cleared from her head as soon as the doors opened and she stepped into what used to be the King of Hell¡¯s room. It no longer resembled the room she knew. Normally, it was a beautiful gold and silver theme that set off the white veins in the black marble floor and walls. A large bed with a dark wood frame sat accompanied by two matching bedside tables. One large window filled a wall that faced over the drop off and the wall opposite to that had an ornate desk that was scattered with weapons and papers alike. Next to the desk was a fireplace that was purely for decoration purposes. Now, the gold and silver pillows and blankets on the bed were stained red and green. The large window was broken, and the weapons that had been on the desk were in the fireplace. Based on the way they were settled, it seemed as if someone had searched through the papers on the desk as well. And, the most noticeable change. On the floor, in front of the bed, was what appeared to be Lucifer. It was hard to tell due to the fact that his body had seemed to be no more than a puddle of now green flesh and bodily fluids. His previously black hair was no more than an ashy grey and what remnants of his skin were left had turned a lime green. Blood and what seemed to be his spleen was everywhere. Making sure to keep her face carefully blank and hide her disgust, Thanatos demanded a report even though she had heard most of what had been discovered before she had gone to the Great Hall. A large, muscled spirit stepped forward. Achilles, head of castle security, said with a monotone voice that betrayed nothing, ¡°The two guards posted outside of his room report that he entered after dinner and never left through the main door. They allowed the servant through to see if he was in his room and immediately came in when she screamed upon seeing the...body.¡± His voice stumbled as he gave a glance at the puddle that was the ¡°body¡±, if it could even be called that. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.Clearing his throat he continued, ¡°I came as soon as my men contacted me and I than ordered the servant to go get you. During the time it took for you to arrive, I confirmed it to actually be Lucifer and ordered a search for him anyway. As you put the castle on lockdown we could only search the insides and we found no trace of him besides the body.¡± ¡°How did you confirm the identity of a pile of mush?¡± Luna asked, still scanning the room for any and all information and dangers. Her face did little to hide her disgust. Achilles snapped his fingers at one of the guards that had been looking around the room. Somehow understanding what it is his captain wanted, the spirit moved to the ¡°body¡± and knelt down. He came back up carrying something that he promptly showed to the Horsemen. It was a piece of flesh, now turned green it was hard to tell if it could¡¯ve belonged to the dark skinned King. On it, however, were an arrangement of tattoos. Nine tattoos, each a small, unique symbol, adorned the skin. Thanatos recognized the tattoos she had seen on her Father¡¯s arm time and time again when they had sparred. Each of the markings were the symbol of one of the Realms. Only Lucifer had all of them tattooed on that arm. ¡°Excuse me, your Grace,¡± a young woman, one of the guards, came up to Thanatos and Achilles with a small bow. ¡°We¡¯ve finished sorting through the weapons that were in the fireplace and the papers that were on the desk.¡± ¡°What weapons were in the fireplace?¡± Gabriel asked, his voice calm and sweet while it was directed at the cute young woman. ¡°There were seven weapons. A bow with a quiver of arrows, a fire lance, a crossbow, a short sword, a whip, a longsword, and a small dagger. They were all made of high quality rare materials such as lava infused diamonds and frozen god tears.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wrong.¡± Thanatos said, turning herself as her eyes skirted over the entire room. ¡°That¡¯s all we found, your Grace.¡± The guard said, glancing between Achilles and the Horsemen with fear in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re missing two weapons. There should also be a katana made from soul infused glass and a flail made of bloodstone.¡± Thana sounded distracted and her voice trailed off as she seemed to have spotted something. Moving with all the grace that her ancient life had taught her, Death moved across the room to the desk that had finally been cleaned up in the room search. Taking the silver ring that always adorned her hand off, she silently commanded it to transform and soon it was a thin dagger made of what appeared to be translucent glass. Wedging it in the wood desk, Thana soon pulled something out of the wood. Holding up something in the light, Death¡¯s face scrunched up in distaste. ¡°What¡¯s up boss?¡± Romena asked, the first time she¡¯d spoken since entering the room. Thana dropped what it was that she¡¯d pulled out of the desk into Romena¡¯s waiting hand and quickly had her enchanted weapon transform back into a ring which she promptly placed back on her finger. Romena looked at her hand to see a fingernail, so long it was more claw like. Flipping it over with her own nail, War felt something wet and sticky on the underside. Lifting her finger she sniffed it as her own skin began to sizzle underneath it. With a hiss, Romena wiped the poison on her pants before anymore of her skin could be damaged. Taking the nail from Romena and handing it to a servant, Thana ordered the room to be locked down and that no one was to entered. Moving to the door, Thana demanded that all the papers that were found on the desk be brought to her room. The other Horsemen falling into step behind her, Death left her Father¡¯s room, and the body it contained, behind. After that, she ordered her three companions to return to their rooms and get what rest they could. ¡°And,¡± she demanded, ¡°Be on your guards.¡± - After that she had gone around and spoken to all high level personnel. It had taken forever and a few of the Rulers had already left so she would have to talk to them the following day. With a sigh, Thana got up from the bath and put on some loose pants and a loose shirt that she could sleep in. Moving across the room, Death froze as she spotted the papers littering her bed. With a groan she took the pile and put them all on her bedside table. She knew she should probably look through them now, as they were the papers that had been on Lucifer¡¯s desk, but she simply couldn¡¯t find the energy to do so. Climbing underneath her black and purple covers, Thanatos blew out the candle that had been lighting her room. Closing her eyes, she felt the first tug of sleep and she soon fell into unconsciousness. Chapter 4- Memories of the past She stood in Lucifer¡¯s room again, just like a few hours before, it was a disaster with blood and guts everywhere. However, this time Thanatos was alone. Of its own accord, her body moved forward until she was kneeling by the puddle that had been her Father. Tears unexpectedly burned her eyes. After so long of bottling up her emotions and hiding her weaknesses from the court, Thanatos couldn¡¯t stop the sob that broke from her throat. As her tears fell onto her Father¡¯s body, Thanatos felt all of the emotions she had been hiding for years just began to swarm her. Sadness at her loss and angry at whoever took her father from her, Thanatos just let her tears fall faster and faster. She felt like she was drowning and just when she thought she couldn¡¯t take any more, the scene shifted around. It was several thousand years before. Thanatos was in a field in Isidor, the quicksands moving under her feet. In her hands was a scythe. Made of solid black material, the edge glistened with blood. Looking around, Thana took in the seven giants surrounding her. Feeling something against her back, Death stiffened and was about to turn around when she heard her friend¡¯s voice. ¡°I wanted to go on vacation but nooooooo. You just had to drag me out into the middle of the 2nd Realm and force me to fight a bunch of giants. What a great birthday present!¡± Romena¡¯s breathing was heavy but there was an unmistakable tone of excitement underneath the sarcasm. ¡°Now now Romena,¡± Thanatos said, wiping sweat from her brow, ¡°I know how much you love to get your fangs bloody. This is a great gift. Not that it¡¯s your birthday, mind you.¡± ¡°It could be my birthday!¡± Romena responded with a huff, shifting her feet so the blow she took on her daggers wouldn¡¯t knock her over. ¡°The last time-¡± Thanatos stopped as she jumped into the air and slashed at one of the giants, a flash of black light marked her changing into her True Form. A long black cloak that seemed to be made of mist replaced her fighting leathers and her scythe seemed to grow even sharper and darker in its colour. The air became heavy as Death brought her scythe down across the giant¡¯s face. ¡°You celebrated your birthday,¡± she continued as she landed back on the ground, ¡°Was what, when you reached 2100 years and you killed that dude for calling you old. After that we all just stopped paying attention to age.¡± Shifting into her form of a red wolf the size of a small dragon, War jumped onto the shoulder of the smallest giant, ripped out it¡¯s throat and jumped quickly to another giant where she took off an ear. Romena jumped down just in time for a giant missing a throat to topple and take two down with it. ¡°Are you,¡± she began as she shifted back into her usual form with the addition of a bloody jaw, ¡°Saying that I¡¯m old Thana?¡± Thanatos was saved from answering as the last of the giants roared with outrage and attacked them. Right before she brought her scythe down for a killing shot, the scene changed again. Now, Thana was standing outside of Hell¡¯s Castle. It was formed of black marble that had veins of white running through it. Red pillars formed the entrance hall and held up the rest of the keep. Now a young child that had been alive a mere few hundred years, the equivalent of five human years, Thanatos felt a jolt of fear at looking at the castle that was shaped in the likeness of a skull. With the jaw gaping open in a soundless scream as the entrance and large windows made of tinted glass forming the eyes, it was a frightful sight for anyone to bare. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Come now princess.¡± A man, tall with dark skin and hair, called to her. Catching up quickly, the princess of Hell grabbed the man¡¯s hand and looked up to meet his eyes. Black soulless eyes that glittered with what a young child could take as love but was more likely just cold calculation and a hunger for something dark looked back at her. The girl knew who this was, it was her Father, the great King Lucifer. Following Lucifer, Thanatos stayed quiet as he led her down different halls and stairwells until coming to what she was told were the dungeons. In a few centuries she would learn that this was just where people were kept for when high ranking members of court grew bored. Those who were truly convicted had a far worse fate. The cell that they stepped into had enough room for a human to be chained upright to a wall, two smalls pits that were filled with water and fire, and a rack that was covered in a large arrangement of weapons and tools. The cell was dirty and musty. With no windows or vents there was no air flow which made it hard to breath. Looking around, Thanatos was glad that she had chosen to wear simple black pants and a shirt like her Father had suggested instead of the white dress she had wanted to wear. Lucifer placed Thana in front of the form that was chained up and ordered her to study him. The human was maybe 18 years old, had a splatter of dark hair and was covered in dirt and mud. However, besides the unnaturally skinny form that was showed as he wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes, nothing seemed to be wrong with him. Then Lucifer told her what he wanted her to do. She didn¡¯t want to, at first. She had never hurt anyone before and she was sure that she¡¯d vomit. But, Thanatos lived for her Father¡¯s praise and didn¡¯t want to disappoint him. Swallowing she approached the rack of tools. She listened and followed instructions as Lucifer guided her through what he wanted to be done. Her hands and face were soon covered in blood that was not her own. She did end up being sick after an hour of feeling the sticky substance on her skin. But Lucifer just nodded with a small frown and told her it would get easier with practice. And she soon found that it did. That first time was the hardest, and she never forgot the face of the man that she killed over the course of four hours. However, Thanatos soon found that she enjoyed the praise she received from her Father for it, and she did it again and again. And the King always gave her encouragement and called her his Murderous Prodigy. During her 1600th year of existence, she was named the 1st general of Hell and earned the title of ¡°Your Grace¡±. Her three siblings soon followed her. The scene shifted once more to the day she was born. Even then she was aware of what was going on around her. She was aware of her mother, an especially beautiful reaper, slowly bleeding out on a bed not to far away as someone held her. The newborn looked up into black eyes that were bright with something she couldn¡¯t name. She new, even then that this was the person she should always show loyalty to. And then he spoke a few simple words that made her small heart beat faster. ¡°Welcome, my child. Thanatos, you will cover the world in the blood of your enemies and you will be known as Death itself.¡± Chapter 5- Hell鈥檚 Government Thanatos shot up in bed, a scream lodged in her throat. She slowed her breathing and scanned the room on impulse. When Death was finally certain she was alone she relaxed a touch. Those memories, memories that she hadn¡¯t thought about in eons, demanded her attention. Pushing against them, she did what she always did: pushed everything deep, deep down where she wouldn¡¯t need to look at it. With a sigh Thanatos got up and lit a candle. Knowing she wouldn¡¯t get any sleep tonight, she moved to her small desk and began looking over the papers that were found in Lucifer¡¯s room. Looking at the small pile, she knew that the headache that was forming would soon turn into a full on migraine. The first few papers were common enough that she didn¡¯t think much of them. They simply described how Hell was ruled and operated. Though everyone answered to the King, there were others with power. There was four main branches, or Houses as they were called. The first was the House of Murder. This House was controlled by Death herself and dealt with, well, death. Everyone knew that: if you had information that was wanted, you had made enemies of the wrong people, or it was simply your time, you would be dragged off into the small, well lit victorian house that was little more than the entrance to a series of underground chambers. This House also dealt out all punishments for any crime committed against Hell or its inhabitants. All reapers join the House of Murder and answer to Thanatos for as long as they retain their powers. In short, this was the punishment squad that would drag you out of your home to do unspeakable things to you if they were ordered to. The House of Mysteries followed. The House that was controlled by Famine operated a bit differently. This House was home to the best spies and magic users in all the Realms. The dark wooden building was home to all sorts of mages, sprites, fae and shape shifters. Obeying any command that was passed down to them, they infiltrated noble homes, Realms of Hell, and even the Otherworlds. Members of the House tended to be a bit more mischievous and not much else was known about them. War herself lead the House of Battle. The largest House was where all grunt soldiers, warriors, and even the Sins belonged. Romena commanded all the armies and they were all housed under the same barracks roofs, with the exception of the Sins of course. When they weren¡¯t being sent to squash some rebellion or keep the peace in one of the Realms, they simply stayed back and relaxed in Elysium. The final House, the House of Politics, was the King¡¯s Court itself. The Nine Rulers, the generals and colonels all sat on the Council. Disease ruled this House, giving him more power than even the Rulers, as all the Horsemen had. Every day the Council met and discussed. This House held a trial and sentenced all those who were arrested before passing them to the House of Murder. It also spoke of the problems that Hell had, quite a lot as you¡¯d imagine, and passed laws. Most choices were made by voting however the Horsemen could all veto anything they didn¡¯t like. After a choice was made it was put before Lucifer and he could veto it or let it pass. All court members had their own housing so instead the white and gold marble building simply contained the one large courtroom and an office for Gabriel. Besides that, there were the ruling bodies within each Realm. Everyone of the Nine Realms had a Ruler and a Guardian. The Ruler kept the peace and dealt with everyday issues such as arresting those who committed crimes or tried to escape. The Guardian was magically tied to the Realm it served and as such it could never leave. Guardians acted as a sort of warden, as in they stopped souls from escaping the Realms and they insured all souls were being punished accordingly. Besides that the only other thing of importance in Hell¡¯s government was the three Spirit Judges. Upon entering Hell, souls were placed before the three Judges. These Judges had the power to read a person¡¯s life in a few moments and judge their actions. The souls were then sentenced to one of the Nine Realms. Though, if the Judges found someone deserving of Elysium the soul had to be approved by Lucifer first. Also, the 8th Realm, Kufir, was reserved for those that annoyed or angered an especially vengeful god or goddess and Tartarus, the final Realm, was such a horror and truly made people fear Hell that only Lucifer or Thanatos could banish someone there. With a drawn out groan, Thanatos sat back in her chair while rubbing her forehead. The entirety of Hell¡¯s government was either corrupt, inefficient, or completely pointless. It had a King but also Rulers that held the titles of Lords and Ladies though they didn¡¯t even have much power. The Horsemen ruled the Houses that split people up within the overall government. And the Guardians that were stuck in their Realm weren¡¯t even tied to the Realm or even the Ruler. No, they were tied to the King. Getting up, Thana moved over to the mirror that hung in her bathroom. She looked up to see her gray eyes dull and her hair limp even though she had bathed only a few hours before. Wanting to do nothing more than to curl up in a ball and cry over the loss of her father, she closed her eyes and tried to relax just a little before having to return to the stack of papers on her desk. Death sensed the attack a split second before it happened. Her magic ring in her hand, now transformed into a dagger, Thana ducked and twisted away from whoever it was that had come up behind her. Catching a flash of golden wings and light coloured hair before the tall form that had previously been in her bathroom simply disappeared. With a string of curses that could curdle milk, the woman searched her entire suit three times over for any other assailants or for the mode of entry and exit. There were no trick walls, no hidden doors. The room was supposed to be spelled to make it impossible for any form of magical entry such as teleportation but that was the only explanation as the front door and windows were still closed and locked. The only thing she found was a single golden feather the size of her forearm. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.Grumbling about the different ways she was going to make the would be assassin for making her life just this much more difficult, Thanatos opened the doors to her room. Sticking her head into the hall, she commanded the first servant she saw to fetch her Romena immediately. As an afterthought, she also demanded that breakfast was to be brought to them here. With a bow, the small daemon left to obey. It was not long before Romena barged in, a spirit carrying several trays of breakfast behind her. With her face forming a glare, War collapsed into a chair next to Thanatos with all the grace of a wildebeest. ¡°Why in the name of the Great Chaos, would you summon me now? Do you have any idea what time it is?¡± Romena demanded, already beginning to eat the arrangement of fruits and pastries. ¡°I have no idea what time it is,¡± Thanatos said, waving away the servant as War rolled her eyes in such a fashion that suggested she was not surprised by this. ¡°However, I thought you would wish to discuss the intruder that tried to kill me in my own bathroom.¡± Romena looked over her friend¡¯s shoulder into the bathroom and then around the rest of the room. ¡°You must have had the servants clean up quickly then.¡± It spoke volumes on how, attempts on their lives had become a normal part of everyday events for them. Not that they would be what is considered normal, mind you. A huff that was accentuated by the crunch of an apple slice was the only response before, ¡°They got away.¡± Romena raised one perfect eyebrow at that. ¡°Someone got away from you? With their balls still intact?¡± ¡°They teleported away.¡± War¡¯s hand stopped short of putting the grape in her mouth. ¡°No one should be able to teleport into your room.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Silence fell once again, but it only lasted moment before Romena cursed softly under her breath and continued. ¡°The wards?¡± Each of the Horsemen¡¯s rooms¡¯ had been spelled. Wards that were tied to the individual person prevented any spells or any general magic to be cast unless that person casting the spell had their own blood carved into the warding. ¡°The wards,¡± Thanatos began, her voice a soft purr that usually suggested violence was on its way, ¡°Are still in tact. However, there is no doubt that an angel,¡± she spit the word as if it disgusted her and nodded her head when Romena¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°Was teleported into my room and tried to kill me.¡± Standing up, Romena went to gaze out of the window, if only so she wouldn¡¯t have to sit still. ¡°Why an angel? What do they have to do with this?¡± ¡°Angels were here when his body discovered. And they have always hated Hell and its inhabitants.¡± Romena turned from where she was standing to look at her friend. ¡°You think they killed Father?¡± A shrug as Thanatos made her way over to stand next to Romena by the window. The women¡¯s completely opposite scents clashed, the smell of soft lavender, crackling fire, and night air at odds with the scent of sharp metal, supple leather and bland soap. ¡°They hated him enough to. Besides, it¡¯s not like they haven¡¯t tried before.¡± War opened her mouth to respond but, after looking at the fiery river known as the Phlegethon, the full reality of what they were discussing hit her. As a child, Romena hadn¡¯t been able to stop the call of battle, the want to slice, maim and kill, and as she grew she hadn¡¯t wanted to. Still didn¡¯t want to. But there were times, when she¡¯d wish that she had been a normal girl. Perhaps even human if only so her life wouldn¡¯t be so long and¡­ immortal. Shaking her head to clear those thoughts, as they were useless and she should be glad she was born one of the greatest warriors of any age, Romena tried again to speak, but she chose to change the subject. ¡°Do you remember,¡± she began, her voice soft, ¡°When I used to come sneak in here when we were kids?¡± It had been eons ago, when the world itself had just been getting started again after the Olympians had again fought the Titans and Hades had decided to retire to only he knew where. ¡°We used to just lay in bed all night and whisper to each other. We used to talk about everything and nothing. We had no worries then. I can¡¯t remember what prompted me that first time to come. Maybe I was just bored.¡± ¡°You were not bored,¡± Thanatos said, her voice exasperated and excited at the same time as she recalled that first night long long ago. ¡°You had just killed one of the guards when he tried to force you to bed. A knife between the legs if I recall. You came to me to hide from Father.¡± ¡°Oh that¡¯s right. He was an ugly thing, that guard.¡± Thanatos lifted a brow, as if to say that is your comment? ¡°Well,¡± War continued with a huff, ¡°A guard does not order or force a princess to do anything. I am a princess and he broke that rule so he had to be punished.¡± Soft laughter that Romena soon joined in on filled the room. The redhead let herself study Death. Her shoulders were slumped and the dark circles under her eyes suggested no sleep. But her face was open in a way that few other than Romena ever saw. ¡°Come sister. Let¡¯s do it again for old times sake.¡± Thanatos didn¡¯t even bother groaning as her sister took her hand and led her to the bed, where they promptly collapsed with a lack of their usual grace and control that had made them such terrifying warriors. In no time, both were asleep, facing each other and still holding hands as if they couldn¡¯t bare to let go. And this time, they did not wake for a very long time.