Victor and the Seven Circles of Darkness

Chapter 15 - The Circle of Avaritia

Lines of burning torches ushered them to follow the stairway. Down below was another vast circle full of people facing another kind of punishment, as gruesome and as painful as the first. It's as deep and as wide as that of the first circle and in the middle of it was a huge staircase the shape of a triangle.

People climbed up the stairs with stone slabs bearing down their backs then stepped down on the other side of the staircase. They're doing it repeatedly without rest. The stone slabs vary in sizes though, some carried bigger sizes while others had smaller ones.

Master Tyrus ran his binocular and searched those who attempted to put the stone slabs down. What could be the consequence? He caught a young man looking confident to stop for a few minutes rest. He had no reaction of pain whatsoever and everything remained normal for him. But the moment he carried his stone slab on his back again, it became a struggle for him that he almost couldn't climb another step. The stone seemed got bigger and heavier.

"The same rule as in the first circle—if they stop, they get punished," Master Tyrus concluded.

"I think it's better to carry a heavier load than to get the flesh ripped off, isn't it?" said Trobit.

"Both are painful," said Victor. "What if they lose balance or lose control over the stone slabs and accidentally slip off from their backs?"

"I'm thinking more of the stone slabs falling down the stairs and hitting others," said Trobit. 

"I think these people are punished from their lavish lifestyles, from too much vanity and material obsession. For people who never learn to give or share what they have. Maybe the size and weight of the stone slabs depend foremost on the degree of greediness they poured out in their lifetime." Rower's face looked dim as if he felt the pain himself.

"There's nothing we can do to these people. Let's find the next gate," ordered Master Tyrus.

They're all eager to go home so they paid less attention to the suffering people. Several hours had passed and to their confusion and dismay, they didn't find any feather mark on the entire circle wall. Even Bogle failed to find it.

"We're trapped!" Bogle panicked. "What shall we do now?"

"I'm sure the exit gate is here somewhere, unless—" Master Tyrus gazed at Rower and the rest of the companions.

"Unless what, Master Tyrus?" asked Victor.

"Unless we're obliged to do something here," answered Rower.

"And what are we obliged to do here?" Trobit asked. "We found you and we're not allowed to rescue anyone. There's no reason to go down to the dungeon again."

"Don't you think it has something to do with the man who turned to ashes in the first circle?" said Victor. "Maybe we'll get punished for that."

Everyone remained silent as Victor's suspicion could be the reason.

"Let's try looking for the feather mark again. Maybe we just overlooked it," said Master Tyrus, dismissing Victor's presumption so as not to add fear to their already anxious minds.

They searched the feather mark once more as no one wanted to be punished for such reason. Aside from the inflicted pain, it might even cause delay to their escape. Their search went slower this time to make sure no part of the wall was overlooked. But hours had passed, they've been all around the circle walls, yet still, no feather mark was found.

Trobit gave up. "I'm tired and hungry," he complained.

"We'll rest here, eat, then we'll take another round," said Master Tyrus.