Devil's Oasis

Chapter 14

Black marble steps lead upwards to a grand building, the dark stone castle is illuminated brightly, showcasing the engravings of pure agony, seven columns all depict a sin, each is wrapped with detailed engravings, depicting the depravity. "What is this?" The hell scape makes my skin crawl as the dark sky claps loudly of thunder, sharp shrieks of torment sound as if a new form of lightning.

"The judgment hall," he states while gliding up the steps at a leisurely pace compared to mine. "Any soul sent to Hellfire first appears before me here, they must be judged and sentenced to their purgatory." Stopping at the top of the stairway I feel dwarfed, miniscule compared to everything.

"Judged for the seven sins?"

"The cardinal sins are an archaic method of judgment; their crimes that aren't repent follow them just as well. Their lives are memories, crimes and pain they force upon victims are judged. The purgatory is mental entrapment, their punishment the physical means; the cardinal sins decide the intended means of physical torment," he explains, pausing to nod towards the columns. "These represent the cardinal sins, their actions decide their mental anguish."

I stare up at the column in both awe and horror. "Lust?" Faces of anguish are ghosts of memories in stone, genitalia depicted ripped from bodies. "What's the punishment for that? Wouldn't I be a sinner for it?" I question feeling a shiver ripple through my body as he grunts, wings wrapping around me as if in a shield.

"Having lust isn't inherently bad; adultery, incest, sexual assault; stolen lust is bad," he explains before an orb appears in the palm of his hand. "When sentenced by lust, your torment is sexual humiliation before all ability of sexual gratification is removed. They become sex slaves with no ability of release," the orb dances with smoke before it projects a man sentenced by lust is disfigured sexually before his body morphs into a gray goblin of sorts, made of stone, cracked.

"What was his crime?" I ask, swallowing harshly, his fingers explode the orb with little pressure, sending shards of glass glittering under the dark sky.

"Sexual acts against a minor," he turns us from the column stroading towards the grand stone doors, that creak open, showcasing clean light colored flooring. "Have no remorse for a man who forces himself against innocent youth- he will suffer the pain he traumatized those minors with for eternity."

"Man or woman who does that to a child deserves the same fate," I'm oddly calm with it, I know there's no crime that can out rank one or another; the depravity of any crime can be disgusting. I now understand why he was so adamant with my safety. "How do you stand witnessing so much?" The brief showing made my stomach churn, knowing someone could do such. Toa child no less.

"Because I take pleasure knowing they will forever suffer, never will they know of a day of peace again," he turns to stare at me, eyes darkening as flames appear, staring through me. "Embry, don't fool yourself into thinking I'm a good man- I take pleasure in hearing cries of pain, spilling blood and wearing it like a badge. I am just as sick and deprived as my demons, I just rule them," he growls, making me stare at him.

"Good," my answer has his brow arching as he stares through me. "I wouldn't want the souls brought to you to have mercy," I stand my ground watching as he smiles leaning closer to whisper in my ear.

"You've earned a hefty reward tonight," he purrs for a moment before he pulls away, turning to face a demon with four horns, fangs for teeth and beady red eyes. Wings stretch from his bare chest, sinewy muscles cover his lengthy form. His eyes stare through me, baring his teeth as he tilts his head. "Remove your eyes before I remove your head," Samael growls, his posture relaxed. The tall demon hisses as he turns his beady unfeeling eyes towards Samael.