Hunt of the Seven Sins

Part 1: Chapter 3

Kairus dug his hands into the snow and closed his eyes. For a moment, a wisp of cloud descended from behind a mountain, revealing that it was instead a horde of small demons, each the size of an eagle. They impacted the ground and waddled around for a moment before burrowing into the snow.

Thanatos, after waving to the demons, raised a hand, "Lieutenant Artemis and Lieutenant Hermes, I was not expecting two lieutenants searching Nepal. Have you gotten a lead about any of the monasteries?"

Hermes, a buffalo-horned demon dressed in a white toga which was absolutely not appropriate for the weather, slightly tilted himself– perhaps bowed– as a sign of respect, but Artemis, who was wearing a thicker black jacket and had an undeniable fire in her eyes, approached Thanatos and nodded, "Actually, yes, we have, General." She stretched out her hand to her left and a circular blue light appeared, which she then reached into and pulled out a small slip of paper. "We've received reports that there are concentrations of entropic energy, which we assumed is either sourced from the spiritual significance of the mountains to local communities... or," she snapped her fingers and the paper she had been holding was incinerated, "there's a monastery in the mountains."

The army of tiny creatures that Kairus had summoned reacted almost instantly to the word "monastery", and they suddenly burst from the snow, chattering and squawking incessantly until Thanatos waved his hand to silence them. "That's a good sign. That probably means the mages are around here," he said, scratching his mandible. "Unless the demons detected their own energy?"

Kairus shook his head. "No, they can tell the difference when it's human-sourced."

Thanatos nodded, grunting as he temporarily lost himself in his thoughts. "The mages should have significantly higher numbers now that the population has dwindled. In a way, we've unintentionally benefitted the thaumaturges with the initial invasion," he said, his finger tapping against his skeletal chin. "This would've been a lot easier if Erebus wasn't so hasty. Hermes, could you bring Kairus and Persies to a nearby sanctuary? I'd like to talk to Arty alone for a moment."

"Will do," answered Hermes, and then the figures of he, Kairus, and Persies were smeared across the air for a split second before they disappeared.

"Now that we are alone," Thanatos leaned in, "have you received any questions from the Virtues regarding your expedition?" Despite being bent, he towered over the other demon by nearly a foot.

"I... actually haven't." Artemis paused for a moment and examined her blue fingernails before she looked back up at Thanatos and sighed. "I'm surprised. I thought the King would be a little more interested in thaumaturge shenanigans."

"Curious. It seems we share the same predicament. never informed me of any reports relating to the mages," said Thanatos, his head shifting from his skull to a pale face with two squinting eyes.

"He probably doesn't want you getting involved, then."

Thanatos laughed as his face shifted in a startling instant to include a large, monstrous jaw that moved as he chuckled. "No offense, but would he expect you and Hermes to take on this task alone? He's probably just busy with more important matters."

Artemis smiled. "No offense taken, sir, but I'm feeling rather confident today. I adopted my name from the goddess of the hunt, after all."

Thanatos stopped grinning and returned his face to its usual form as a shadow grew across his skull. He suddenly seemed significantly taller than before. "Artemis, I understand you're quite a bit younger than me, so you might not truly realize what you're facing." The empty sockets of his eyes now had small white pupils hidden inside of them, staring at Artemis. "This task is not something that only confidence should be facing, Artemis. Mankind has a capacity for combat and death that has surprised even me, and you would know why that is shocking. In a distant past, I witnessed the fall of civilizations to the hands of legendary demon lieutenants, but even as they were hopelessly cornered by our forces, they still stood and killed, not like scared animals but with a skill and flow like it was art."

"Like the thaumaturgic mages?" asked Artemis.

"No," said Thanatos, shaking his head, "far worse. They rivaled the Behemoths."

Artemis frowned and ran a hand through her silver hair, stopping when she reached her horns– which resembled the antlers of a deer. "But that level of mage doesn't exist anymore, from what I've heard."

"From what you've heard, Artemis, but mages have a knack for keeping secrets." He clenched a fist but loosened his body slightly. "I'll allow you to search, but I'll be keeping a close watch on you." His face had transformed to display a singular large eye that widened as it looked at Artemis. "If you have any questions about the monasteries, ask Kairus, he has a fair share of personal experience regarding the thaumaturges." Before he left, he turned back once again and raised his hand. "One more thing, I wasn't talking about mages that attacked us in Greece, Arty."

Then he was gone, replaced by a confused Persies and a resting Kairus, with Hermes standing close behind.

"Persies, Kairus," said Artemis, "Me and Hermes will be searching the mountains alone."

"Is that so? I'm surprised Thanatos approved that," said Kairus. "Would you like the swarm to accompany you?"

Artemis laughed, "Sure, why not?"

Kairus nodded and raised a hand. "Just a warning, lieutenants... they may be a little hungry, so be wary of shedding blood."

"And hurry up, I don't want to wait here in the cold for too long!" shouted Persies.