The sleek walls of gold and blood marble painted a picture of excess as a suited figure walked confidently over a velvet red carpet to a throne of gold and silver ornamented with a cushion of lavish white fur. The throne faced a large window looking down into the slums of greed. It towered hundreds of meters above the ground below, the edge of the building inches from the cliff of high society. The figure sat down, his white coated appearance matching the fur he lay on, and his green and gold tailored suit created a contrast of excess that only a few could imagine. The hellhound-like man grinned, revealing his gold-coated fangs as his snout curled.
"Mammon, sir... I have the latest spending report for you." A small demon with dark brown skin and blue lines said, holding a book firmly in his hand. The small demon was wearing a black suit with silver trimming and a matching top hat. Mammon, the Sin of Greed's eyes glanced over to the small demon as he reached out his hand, his claws extending as shiny bracelets clacked together.
"That will be all, Meloch," Mammon responds, his words precise and content as he takes the book from his underling.
"I must ask, sir, my job is to spend your vast riches, however... at the rate you are splurging-" Meloch began to say before Mammon cut him off with a quick growl and glare. "Very well, sir," Meloch said, his shoulders sinking back as he quickly left the room. Mammon simply tossed the book to the velvet carpet as he continued to look out the window.
"Now, Mammon, that's no way to rule." An ethereal voice said as a sudden flash of white and golden light appeared in front of the lord of sin. Mammon crunched his snout as his eyes adjusted to the light, as it faded, revealing an angelic figure standing in front of him; brown curled hair, faint yellow eyes, wearing a dark rob that had white wings protruding from it.
"Satharial? What an... unpleasant surprise," Mammon said, his posture still relaxed in his throne as he brought his fangs to bear. "What do you want?"
"Nothing of too much import... I've put another piece in play you see, and I would like you to do what you do best." The angel said, his face turning into a distorted smile that barely fit between his ears.
"Really now? Another piece in your corrupted story telling," Mammon mocked his ears perked up slightly around his fedora.
"Corrupt story telling? You offend me, Sin." The angel said, moving closer to the throne. "Everything I write is true in my eyes."
"So, why do you think I would help you? My debt has been paid in full." Mammon asked, his eyes locked on the Angel's. Satherial picked up the book that Mammon had tossed to the floor.
"Your confidence is cute, Mammon, but you know the rules of your station, and it looks like you are coming up short," Satherial said, flipping through the book's pages.
"Impossible, I am the Sin of Greed, the keeper of riches," Mammon said in aggressive offense as he snatched the book from Satherial. Satherial looked at him with a faint smirk rising as he watched Mammon's face change quickly from anger to desperation. Mammon's eyes glanced up at the angel as he slammed the book shut.
"Fine, and I assume my assistance will correct these numbers." Mammon didn't ask but demanded.
"Of course. You played your part perfectly, however your inability to control your natural urges made your ambition crumble" Satherial said, his smirk widening into a twisted smile of pure pleasure. Satherial paced around Mammon's throne, running a finger along the golden ornaments. "All I need is a... simple... favor... one that would grant you a permanent place as the Sin of Greed," Satherial whispered. Mammon's ears perked up.
"Permanent?" His grin widened, matching the angel's.
"I'm so glad you still have a glint of adventure in your eyes, Mammon. Now, let's talk business. I have sent a human to hell for causing unintentional collateral damage to my plans, and you will corrupt him,"
"Another one of your trials? It's been a thousand years since your last... punishment." Mammon responded, his eyes tightening as his canine grin revealed his back teeth. "If it's corruption you want, then corruption you will get."
"Perfect," Satherial responded, as light began to form around him again.
"But why not just kill him, I'd be easy." Mammon asked.
"It would seems he has already made a connection here in hell," Satherial said as he disappeared and the angelic light faded. "It makes total erasure... difficult." His aethereal voice fading with a final echo.
Mammon's tail wagged slightly before he glared at it. "This will be most profitable. Focalor, to my attention!" Mammon yells as a sudden swoosh of air blew through his fur. Mammon's attention moved up, revealing a woman with tall black boots and fish-like scales that ended just above her knees. The woman was wearing a skin-tight top that exposed her shoulder with patches of scale spread on the tips that held a loose jacket that only wrapped around her arms. She had short light blue hair with small black crooked horns and dark blue demon-like wings. The woman kneeled in front of Mommon, her eyes cold and distant as she bowed her head.
"My lord?" Focalor asked as she held her posture, stiff and clean.
"I have a job. I would like you to complete my most trusted general." Mammon said, his words kind but authoritative. "A Human has been found in hell, and I need him corrupted."
"Corrupted?" Focalor asks as she tilts her head up to see Mammon sitting relaxed on his throne. "My lord, you have many servants who are much better at corrupting mortals." She suggested in obedient protest.
"I do... However, this job is important, and you are the only one that I can trust with a non-lethal command." Mammon said under his breath with annoyance. "I need the human alive... Bring him to me, and I will corrupt him myself." Mammon explained his words sank into Forcalor like instinct as she nodded.
"I will leave immediately, my lord."
"Good... and Focalor, everything I own is at your disposal for this; this must not be a failure," Mammon said, with an approving look, but under his grin was a threat.
"Everything, my lord?" Focalor mumbled, the instinctive obedience she felt slipping at his generosity. "This must be very important."
"More than you could possibly imagine, my Goetic General," Mammon said, standing up and looking out the window that overlooked the Circle of Greed. "Now go and bring me my prize," Mammon said, not turning to face her as his grin widened, revealing his fangs as he cackled sinisterly. In a sudden flash of blue swirling water, Focalor disappeared, leaving Mammon alone in his throne room as he continued to laugh.
"Hey, Theo, keep your damn hood up," Jaxa whispered as the two walked through the broken streets of the slums.
"Sorry," Theo responded by putting his hood over his blonde hair and placing his hands in his pockets. His green eyes glanced around, seeing broken-down metal huts stacked on each other for multiple stories and sinners walking around with suspicious sunken eyes. The slums were a shocking difference from the area they had arrived in. The marble and stone carvings were replaced by cracked cobblestone and puddles of murky liquid and the sinner went from wearing lavish coats to rags and a suspicious amount of missing limbs. "Do you know where the target is?" Theo asked, picking up his pace to match Jaxa's.
"Not exactly, but where do you think we can find out?" Jaxa responded, her whiskers moving as she grinned widely.
"I don't know, a bar or something?" Theo answered, as his steps stammered to avoid a hooded sinner with lizard-like features.
"This is greed, and information is a currency," Jaxa said, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from another sinner. "And gambling is the best way to earn a quick buck down here." She said, pulling him in front of a small building. The building was dilapidated but looked more sturdy than most others nearby. It had boarded-up windows, which flashing lights slipped. The two walked inside as Theo, the smell of smoke quickly filled his nose. "Just keep close and avoid the slot machines." Jaxa said as they moved through the impossibly crowded casino. Extreme colors and scents invaded Theo's senses as his heart began to race from the sensory overload. Jaxa looked behind her, her eyes slightly widened. "Hey, calm down, human, it's not that bad."
"Sorry, I just don't do well with crowds," Theo responded, his eyes trying to focus on Jaxa. She looked at him and pulled him closer to her.
"Just focus on the job and keep your eyes on me." She said with an almost sympathetic glance. Theo's heart began to settle as they moved further into the casino. His eyes fix on her black fur, and his thoughts repeat one word: Trust. Jaxa pulled him to a small door with a slot at eye level. She knocked on the door with a vigorous thump. The eye slit opened, revealing a set of jeweled eyes.
"Allotment?" A muffled grumble said from behind the door. Jaxa held up a small coin to the slit. Suddenly, the slit shut aggressively, and the door slowly opened.
"Come on," Jaxa said, pulling his arm gently. The two walked through the door into a dark room with only one red light above a circular table. Around the table were five chairs. Three were taken, leaving exactly two for Theo and Jaxa. Theo's eyes locked on the empty chairs as his eyebrow raised slightly with suspicion. At the table, the three figures looked up at them.
"Welcome in." One of the figures said. The one who spoke was a sinner who resembled a maco shark. Jagged teeth poking out of a thin smile, his body slim yet with obvious muscle, portraying a confident posture. He was wearing a fancy red robe with gemstone piercing poking out of his dorsal fin. "Take a seat, sinners." The man said his thin smile widening and his blackened pupils spreading to cover the white and yellow edges of his eyes. Jaxa took a seat at the table as Theo hesitantly followed, sitting next to her. The red glow of the single light caused his eyes to wince as he looked at the other two unknown figures sitting next to him. One was a hooded figure with glowing blue eyes. The figures' hands were small with long fingernails painted in blue polish. The other figure was a misty black shadow with distorted purple eyes that glowed in the dim red light. "What brings heretics down to the... humble circle of greed?" The shark asked as he shuffled a deck of cards.
"We need information, J," Jaxa responded, her eyes fixed on the shark sinner. The shark lets out a low chuckle.
"I see that my reputation has made it all the way up to Heresy, then," J responded.
"Of course they have," Jaxa said, smirking. "Now, are you going to deal the cards or did you have a change of heart?" Jaxa says, leaning against the table. J lets out a chuckle again and deals each person two cards.
"I assume you all know how to play and what's at stake for loss," J says, looking at his hand.
"Yeah, yeah, favors for the loser, information for the winner," Jaxa says, looking at her hand.
"Favors?" Theo asks, looking at the cards on the table.
"Sorry about him, he's newly hatched," Jaxa says, nudging Theo's shoulder. J laughs.
"As a simple sinner, I can't steal your soul, but as with all things in Hell, deals are bound in blood," J says with a somewhat comforting look.
"Shoot, that reminds me. He still needs a seal." Jaxa says, turning to J.
"Good catch," J responds as he snaps his fingers, and a piece of parchment appears in front of Theo.
"What is this for?" Theo asks, looking at the blank page of paper.
"Simple, you sign in blood, and any deal you make down here must be upheld. If you were to lose the game we are about to start, and I found out you hadn't signed a seal, I would be forced to erase you instead of forcing your debt to be paid." J says, holding out a small needle. Theo's face goes pale for a moment.
"Right, I think I'd rather do a favor than die." Theo hesitantly says, taking the needle and pricking his finger. Shit, my holy blood. He thinks immediately of putting his finger in his mouth. His eyes move to the needle, seeing red dripping from it. His eyes widen as he realizes his blood isn't gold and his finger isn't healing instantly like it normally would. He looks at the blood beading up on the edge of his finger, then at Jaxa. She nods with a calming look. Then Theo places his finger on the parchment, leaving a pinger print barely visible from the red light on the paper.
"Good, now that's done, we can start. The game of Favors begins."