The High Order

9. Raging Devil

9. Raging Devil

1. It was mid-afternoon in the northern Hell district of Elysium, where quaint country homes and old wooden farmhouses bordered the dark forests and the wilderness that lay beyond that. Dan had been sent to the manor of Duchess Jane to investigate a disturbance. The former Duchess of Essex had been a murderous and tempestuous individual in life, causing many debts and starting many vendettas against the English monarchs of yore. She had been executed for high treason by the crown in 1550, and arrived in Hell to construct a moderately sized countryside mansion not far from the riverfront of the Dis.

 Set by the forest to its north, the mansion straddled several oak trees and a green pasture of land bordered by neighboring fat cats looking for extravagant ways to waste their money on elaborate building projects. It covered two floors and included portraits of the late Duchess, dining areas, a glass chandelier in the foyer and propped up suits of knight's armor beside the staircases like chilling butlers to the damned. The Duchess herself was a small round woman in her fifties, with wrinkles of age only now starting to appear in earnest across her face. She had large fluffy white hair above a navy blue corset and dress while she was sipping tea and answering the questions Dan had to offer.

"so, what seems to be the problem mam?" Dan asked.

"my beautiful home has become cursed by a spirit of the night. I was told by a servant of mine recently that you were in league with Lucifer, which is why I called him to find you. You seem like just the man for the job" the Duchess exclaimed.

"well yes, when the job involves an actually person, but this just seems like a ghost story to me, or some pesky kids egging your house or something" Dan tusked in disbelief.

"please, kind sir. Do stay for the time being, at least until sundown. Then the ghost will appear. I can hear it every night after locking my bedroom door. It tears wallpaper and breaks glass. It even breaks into my pantry and gorges on my produce. If you were to, I would pay in kind" the Duchess lifted a lead engraved chest onto the table and opened it to reveal priceless gems and jewels from the world's easiest treasure hunt. Dan nodded in acceptance and was led back into the mansion to prepare for a night of ghost hunting among the candlelit hallways and creaking floorboards as the sun began to set.

2. Hell had been a bad land of gang crime for decades, even centuries. Italian Mafia, Japanese Yakuza, Chinese triads, and family syndicates, all of whom managed to simmer down to the red abyss to carry on their dirty do's. the Northern district of Sibyl had Yakuza of the Bushido line, while Styx had the DiMaggio mob family. Rampart had Crypts and Bloods, while Absinthe district had Russian mobsters. 

This would make the streets of Hell a dangerous place to be, unless you were Alois Kelmer. He was driving across the city to the gangland districts, as part of a new plan of action to blow off some steam before Blood Moon Day. Finally arriving back at the Dark Council lair, he entered the entrance hall and took the next elevator to his office several floors up. Inside his office was Kurgan, sitting in an armchair by the fire, feet up on a nearby chair, petting a brown falcon on his right arm.

"ah where have you been my friend?" the seated mentioned

"oh, nowhere. And everywhere" Alois took off his coat and sat down to his desk.

"what do you mean?" Kurgan said.

"I would say that in about five minutes, the bullets will fly, and the fires will start" Alois poured a glass of whisky to his work.

"what did you do?" Kurgan addressed him.

"I told the Yakuza that the Russians had disrupted a sale of arms. By some stupid miracle, they bought my story. They may get the other gangs involved somehow" Alois explained and drank.