Hell.
It's a word with many meanings, and honestly, all of them can apply to my current situation.
Laying on the floor right in front of the castle of Pride, with some pebbles probably marking my back and my clothes being completely covered in ash, I have been thinking for the past hour or so. I don't know. Time is weird here.
Some pride demons float past me - or walk, since lots of them have physical bodies - giving me mean looks. They're not like human looks, but you can tell they are rude. They cannot judge. They should have more important things to do.
Back to thinking - what can I do?
I can't wait for someone to come get me out of here. The wizards would get hurt, Victoire is afraid of this place, and Barney might just be drunk. I have to do something.
Demon portals are most definitely blocked, and even if they weren't, I never learned how to make one.
The sling ring. It is still around my fingers, and, according to the book on portalling, it should be able to open interdimensional doors.
Quickly, I stand up, and get in place to create one. Left hand up, right hand following an anticlockwise movement.
It does not work.
There are barely some weak sparks before the portal dies out. I try again three times, confirming that it is not a problem with me, but with this place.
—Damn it! —what can I even do in here?
A whisper right next to my ear teases me. —Quod magicae non operatur hic. —this magic will not work here.
I turn my head, and a humanoid pride demon is standing maybe too close to me, —Why? —
—Maleficos. —wizards. They do something like a shrug. —Hic non receperint. —they are not welcome here. —Utere tuo magicae-—
—My magic? Do you mean dark magick? —
They nod. —Immo. —
It does make sense that no magic works here like the one used by demons, especially after the closing of Hell. It isn't that useful right now, though - what is the point of having only demonic powers, when everyone who surrounds you also has such abilities?
Bored, I stick my hand out. Creating a flame is swifter than ever. I suppose magick is smoother here.
—Sentis potestatem? —
Of course I feel the power. But I also know what they are trying to do.
Pride demons are very tentative. Sure, all demons have to at least try to tempt others, but the house of Pride has a natural talent. It was a pride demon who tried to tempt the son of Yahweh, just like many other figures considered "holy". Their tricks might be unknown to some, but for me, they are very predictable.
I sigh. —Shut up. —
Leaving the demon behind, I start walking on the opposite way to the castle of Pride. There has to be something interesting around here I can use to get out. I keep my eyes looking forward, well aware the demon is still following me, now joined by others.
—Sumus potentiores illis. —we are more powerful than them, one of them whispers, having reached my side, while looking at lonely demons from other houses walking past us. —Tu potentior illis. —you are more powerful, they assure. —Hic plus potentiae habes quam in terra... —you have more power here than on Earth,
That's the only true thing they have said. Of course a kind of magic will be more powerful in the place it came from. Just to let them know I know - and to spite them - I use telekinesis to throw one of them into a wall.
The others laugh. They have no sense of care for each other.
—Quare ne vis manere? —I don't need to tell them why I want to leave.
—Quare ne vis princeps? —if they knew I wanted to be a princess, just not theirs, they would laugh in my face.
—Creator tuus plus tibi dare potest potentiam. —
Your Creator could give you more power. They were definitely sent by Her. They love Her, don't they? They will do anything She says. No questions asked, not even a hint of hesitation. Long live the Queen, after all.
—Scisne qui hic plurimum valet? —
I scoff, as we arrive at the heart of the city. —Of course I know who is most powerful. The queen. —
—Regina est deus. —the queen is a god.
Quickly moving to face me, the quietest one adds, —Visne deus esse? —
Do you want to be a god?
I frown. —What are you implying? You know I'm not going back to Her. —
The demon chuckles, somewhat nodding. —Vos non habere. —you don't have to.
With no other words, they all leave in a rush.
All movement has ceased in Hell. Too few souls are left outside of the houses, tiredly looking for something to do, like me, and evading the shadows Sabrina has been using to make sure nobody tries to make a move. It's very quiet. Very dull. I don't know what She expects them to do without access to other worlds.
The castle of Sloth is the one closest to me. Don't let the name mislead you; it is nothing close to a castle, or a palace. To get to it, you have to walk down a very inclined hill, reaching the darkest and warmest area of Hell. It's too much work just to get there, and it's even worse to get out - that is why most sloth demons stay in their castle, happy with the calm environment surrounding them. Even from up here, I can see multiple demons laying down, sleeping. It's the least alive part of Hell. It's depressing.
Maybe I should leave them alone. I see the castle of Gluttony a few meters away from me, and start walking to it.
It is the biggest castle. In fact, it takes up too much space. I enter easily since there are no souls near the entrance, and walk down the halls, filled with gold and food and other items stolen from worlds that might need them to survive. The main room is a loud mess, as all demons try to steal a seat from the big table, and others bring in foods and drinks from their vault.
This house has the most physical bodies, which leads to many fights between them. I chuckle. They don't even need to eat. They do this for pleasure.
Quietly, I sneak through them, and grab the most midgardian-looking food from the table. It's a bar of chocolate. I step back, starting to open it, and smile at the few demons that do notice me. —Enjoy your meal. —
One of them panics, —Non furantur nimis-! —don't steal too much, —Subsidiis breve est. —our reserve is running low.
I take a bite out of the chocolate, and hand the rest to them, —You should start rationing food until we can get out again. —
—Nimis longum erit. —it will take too long, —Non possumus facere. —we can't do it.
They will not survive. —There's nothing I can do. —
Right next to the castle of Gluttony, is the castle of Lust - terrible combination, if you ask me.
This time, I look inside. Nothing is happening. The demons look like they would belong in the house of Sloth; laying down, depressed, having no one to play with. Even the ones with physical bodies have no motivation to do things with each other.
Now bolder, I step in the castle. Some of them look at me, and seem to get excited by my human-looking body, but such emotions have a short life, as they recognize me.
—Scisne si nugas mox habebimus? —do you know if we will have toys soon?
I shrug. —I don't know. —
Next stop; the house of Wrath. It is terrifying.
There is a hole in the middle of Hell that goes all the way down to the "castle" of Wrath. Flames come from there along with many blended screams from lost souls. I have never seen it. I don't know what it looks like. Carefully, I look down the hole, and see the wrath demons fighting with each other and different beings.
I think they don't mind about Hell being closed. They have enough souls now, and they're able to take more from other houses, so they should stay happy for long enough.
A few of them look up to me.
Even though I take some steps back, they come out of the hole, releasing enough energy to make me fall on the ground.
One of those with a body stands on top of me, and growls. —Quid tu hic? —
—I'm just looking around, I will leave if that's what you want! —I raise my hands from my spot on the floor, trying to keep my calm, especially with them.
—Nolo te videre in hoc regno, —I don't want to see you in this kingdom, —Non merentur! —you don't deserve it.
Their words are too familiar; I have met this demon before. —Do I know you? —
—Libertatem perdidi propter te. —
They lost their liberty because of me. Is this the wrath demon that possessed the little girl? —We both did what we had to do. I didn't even hurt you, I let you go. You can't blame me for what's happening. —
—Me culpa tua est. —for me, it's your fault. —Donec reginae mentem mutes. —until you change the queen's mind.
I shake my head. —I can't do anything, I tried. —
The demon tries to stomp on my torso, but before they can hurt me, I throw a blast of energy on their way, sending them flying a few metres. I stand up. Around us, there are way more demons than before, from every single house.
They start walking back to me, hands in fists and eyes glowing. Their steps leave small flames on the ground. —Huc venisti! —come here.
I take steps back, slowly increasing speed, careful not to bump into someone. —If you don't hurt me, I will not hurt you. —I don't want them to make a mistake. Even at my words, they keep walking towards me, and start throwing some rocks with telekinesis, which I dodge. —This can get you in trouble, listen to me! —
Sabrina will protect me, even if I don't want Her to. She will not let them hurt me. And knowing Her, She might kill the demon.
Although the demon's housemates keep backing them up and not interfering, showing them an interesting respect. This demon is not a common demon. I think they are the ruler of Wrath.
—Tu timidum. —you are a coward.
—You will regret this. —
Right as they throw a rock covered in fire, something stops them on their tracks, and all demons look behind me. I don't.
—You have no right to hurt my kid. —Sabrina says, walking past me. —I don't care what you or your house think. We all made a deal ages ago, and you must not hurt a pride demon. —
When She stands in front of the demon - who She is keeping still with Her magick - the demon does not hesitate to spit on Her face. I hear laughter coming from the pride demons. Sabrina, smiling sarcastically, holds the demon by the face and brings them closer to Her,
—Death isn't enough for you. —She whispers.
From where I stand, I can see the demon's eyes stop glowing as Sabrina's fingers turn dark, such colours travelling down Her veins.
The ruler of Hell can take away anything that makes a demon. The powers, the knowledge, the natural inclination to magick, and even any other abilities they might have learned with help of their nature. Only the body, if there is one, will keep acting and reacting like a demonic one, holding the now neutral soul in it. It's a punishment. A curse. And it cannot be undone, or at least it hasn't been done yet.
The ruler of Wrath has now become a normal soul.
Holding them now by the arm, Sabrina drags them to the hole of Wrath, and throws them there, where I don't want to know what will happen. She turns around, —Get a new leader soon, house of Wrath. —She tells the air, as all the other demons scurry back to their own houses. —Don't make it worse. And you, —
Quickly, She makes Her way up to me, and points at my chest, —Don't get in more fucking trouble. —
—I don't need you to follow me around. —
—I'm protecting you! —She points at the hole, —They want you dead, everyone here wants you dead. Don't trust in them. If you're gonna fuck with a house at least go to Greed, they're our friends. Do you understand? —
I don't answer, but She nods, pushing me aside and walking back to Her palace with Her helping shadows following behind.
She's right. I should go to Greed. They will like me.