Without Virtue

Easy Target

"I hope you all  had an easy trip, coming through a portal isn't easy but I'm very glad to see you all" he spoke with tenderness, sounding genuinely concerned. "Now I know that taking you away from your former lives may sound unfair, but I wish to give you an opportunity". The way he placed his hands behind his back as if he didn't have a worry in the world. He put his hand to the left like he was calling someone over. "My children, I need you all to grasp for strength, show me that the life that I have bestowed upon you was not a waste" he said. There were men with armor plates in gold, shimmering with the reflection of the red hue surrounding the area, coming toward us.
"What's going on?, why have you brought us here?, where's my mother?" one of the boys spoke asked with a pretty obvious tone of unconsolable terror, only grasping enough courage to speak at all. He looked about two or three years older than Wrath was at the time . Wrath remembered these questions because it was the same ones that came to his mind. He'll never be able to get the image of what came after out of his head.
"Little one, those are some valid questions and I'll be happy to answer them for you" his father spoke with such a calm demeanor, his right hand came up and made a pathway for the boy to walk to. The boy made it to the top and looked up toward his father, still looking anxious for only a few seconds then suddenly it disappeared. Lucifer kneeled down and patted the boys head and back then he saw it as maybe as a sign of affection, now Wrath knew it was nothing more than an act worthy of an oscar. His father then looked directly into that poor boy's eyes. "Do you think of yourself as ambitious, as someone who would do what needs to be done to gain what you desire?" he said. The boy looked as if he was contemplating an answer that would be favorable.
"It would depend on what I'm working towards" The boy seemed calm as if he were talking to a friend.
"I believe you may have a point, Should I tell you what you're working towards?" He said. The boy nodded with curiosity and enthusiasm. The man stood up and looked toward the rest of his children."My children, I wish to grant you all an opportunity to own your own domain".
"Domain?" The look of utter confusion was just plastered all over Wrath's face.
"A kingdom that you would have complete control over and attendants that you'd have authority over". The other children looked upon each other, each maybe thinking that this venture could be worth it. Wrath thought maybe this would be a competition and in a way it was. The  children held their breath and could sense the atmosphere had become suffocating. Their father looked back toward the boy and kneeled to meet him at eye level. "My child for your bravery you'll be given a head start".
"What do I have to do". The man stood up and looked toward his other children as if scouting for someone. Then he found exactly what he was looking for, the six year old little girl who looked shocked to be noticed. He guided her to the boy waiting, for what, no one in that moment knew. He waved his hand toward his men and in their hands was a sword and dagger.
"My children I sadly only have seven kingdoms to give and as you can see there maybe more of you then I thought there would be," he said. "If you want something don't let hesitation keep you from getting it,' he said. The boy looked at the sword not knowing whether the weight was the sword just being heavy or the situation he was in.
"You...I...no ,no ,no...no...no!," The boy had put the sword down and looked directly at the little girl, holding the dagger oblivious to their situation. "I can't do this father...why do we have to do this ?" the boy's voice was shaking. The look on Wrath's father's eyes had this mix of disappointment and sprinkles of anger.
"My child do you think that she'll be spared by your other siblings...," He whispers the rest of the sentence into the boy's ear and the look on his face went from shock into horror. Even though Wrath could not hear what his father said it was safe to say it had to be something traumatizing. The little girl was looking at the dagger intensely as if it was the most fascinating object in the whole world.
"What's this? What do I do with it" The little girl spoke with such genuine innocence that Wrath felt almost bad for her. She didn't have a name but Wrath did remember her smile, it was a cute smile, a sweet smile, one that gave cavities to whoever saw it. The boy picked up the double edge sword and walked slowly toward her. She looked up at her brother not fully understanding her predicament. The boy's eyes looked glossy, tears were falling from the side of his face. The boy picked up the sword as high as he could and dropped it on her with enough force to cut at her throat. The scream only lasted a few seconds but it was soul destroying, all of the other children had different reactions but the same outcome hit them all, they were going to have to kill each other. A barrage of crimson splattered all over the floor and some even reached his hand and face. The moment to be mortified was over now all of them, Lucifer's children, needed to think of what their next move will be. Lucifer stood up and looked directly at his other children.
"I know that this seems harsh but this is in your best interest, I need strong children to rule over these domains, and sadly I only possess seven," his tone could best be categorized as indifference. The boy from earlier picked the sword up again, it was soaked in blood and he ran toward their father trying to kill him. The man seemed amused he would move ever so slightly out of the way of the boy's attacks. Wrath had a feeling that this would lead to nothing, the man not once looked worried instead he looked like he was playing a morbid game of tag. The boy eventually didn't have enough energy to continue fighting. Instead of being annoyed or enraged Lucifer was proud. He placed his hand on his head again but this time with the atmosphere of malice. The boy knew his arms were lifeless now devoid of any energy to fight yet his eyes stared straight at his father with a look that could pierce the soul if he stared long enough. "My son you've earned your name," he said
"Name? I already have a name. It's...," The sentence cut short by his father's hand grasping at his throat, not enough to strangle him but enough to stop his speech. He loosened his hold on the boy's neck and instead cupped his check as if to comfort him from his previous action.
"My child your name is Pride," The boy dropped his sword and jumped toward his father ready to fight again. It became unnerving when Pride kept adamantly trying to obviously kill him. The man seemed quite amused like he was playing with his new puppy. Pride again had used up the remainder of his strength, he was now on his knees waiting, for his death because to him that made sense. The man picked him up and held his son as if he was a newborn baby and he spoke into Pride's ears, maybe to comfort him or maybe to terrify him Wrath would never know. Wrath watched as his older brother was handed over to one of their dads men and taken away. Their father looked down toward them again and was about to speak then a seven year old child cut him off.