[Norkari Mountains] The Hole

Of course, despite this being a place best left alone someone was there.They were alone at the moment for they had an undertaking. With a rune scarred knife they were putting the final touches into their etchings. The cavern was the size of a cathedral and the hole took up a nearly perfect circular space in the heart of it. Around the hole the man with the knife had carved innumerable intricate runes. The act had taken weeks with only brief breaks to work at his alchemy table and to sleep.

He had a little living space in one corner of the cavern. It had all of his supplies, the tools of his craft, a small reference library, and of course a crate of vials filled with a blue powder.

With one last movement of the knife the last etching is complete. This particular sigil was a circular one, the shape of a labyrinth leading to a deep bowl like depression in the center of it. There were seven such circles, including this most recently finished one, arranged with geometric precision around the hole.

The sound of footsteps fills the cave. Exactly on time his compatriots return. Six figures each clad in armour made of leathers dyed in mottled blacks and greys. Each one of them was carrying a bound person, men and women of various ages, on their backs. Except the largest who came up the rear he carried two.

As The Set makes their way into the cave they spread out each one taking their luggage to one of the circles around the cave. The largest, Wrath placing his spare within the circle Pride had just finished. Once everyone is in position the rest of the set pull out their own knives and then as one, following Pride’s lead, they bend down and slit their hostages throat.

Blood pours from the open arteries of the innocent people and the moment that blood hits the stone of the depression it begins to flow even faster. The magic of the circle drawing out more and more blood, faster and faster. The depression fills and then the blood flows out along the lines of the labyrinth. The liquid life begins to glow an ominous red as it spreads out to fill all of the etched lines around the hole until it hits the edge and the blood begins to pour down into the abyss.

“It is done.” Pride says with satisfaction as the darkness within the hole grows even deeper than it had been. Something ominous stirs in those shadows, impossible to make out when it was black on black, yet somehow there. It was watching them, curiously and then it is gone as something equally invisible to the naked eye snuffs out its life and takes its place. The portal to the realm of void would soon pulse with energy and that would draw out and away one of the greatest threats to his plans. If they were very lucky, then the creature would be killed, but at the very least the trap should keep it occupied for a few days. More than long enough to accomplish his goals.

“We return to the city this evening.” He informs The Set. “I will put in place the final preparations and at Dawn, we begin.” His gaze travels over them, his eyes hidden behind his featureless obsidian mask. He doesn’t ask if they remember their parts. They were incapable of forgetting, one of the rune scar marks saw to that. But they were not entirely mindless so they may have questions or suggestions for what is to come. Which would tell him who needed a fresh dosage to keep them under control.

Envy did as she was bid, did as her master asked of her, leaned the poor man over the edge of the circle. Her orders had been given but it was up to her to carry them out. Some had brought youth, some had brought beauty, but she, she brought an elderly man. One who had believed that she was his grandson his sight so poor he had no choice but to believe her when she earnestly dragged him along with her. She’d not drugged the man, far from it, she’d allowed his senile mind to guide him as she led him from the city. Promises were made, an end to his suffering, a kindness as she knocked him over the head. He was not awake as she grasped him by the hair on the top of his head raising him up til she could slit his throat. His eyes had not opened, his pulse was barely palpable, but the blood that ran into the floor was warm and filled the pot all the same.

Envy let his lifeless body fall flicking blood off of her blade letting the rest slowly drip out of the pot and onto the floor, one small defiance a glimmer of something behind her eyes not yet realized. They trailed to Pride. He set their pace, their path, and she remained steady on the line he carved for her.

She was easy to pick out, young and naive as she still was. Still clinging on her family for support, unmarried, uneducated, and ill-advised, taken care of all her life, it was her simplicity that was to be her ruin. How astonishingly easy it had been to lead her astray. Sloth didn't do any work, per se. A girl like that required none. She was mind-numbingly pretentious, and all he had to do was play her childish games of grandeur. A smile here, a compliment there, and the ultimate promise, she fell in love in an instant. Perhaps if her family had taught her better, if she had married to an eligible bachelor, she wouldn't be where she was now, held over the ground with a knife to her throat. Such a pity, such a waste, he thought to himself as he slid it effortlessly across, and her pure, pitiful eyes slowly died as the blood trickled down into the pool of red.

Greed had chosen a plump merchant as his prey, the unfortunate man’s limbs tense and eyes wild with fear. The merchant dared not move due to the blade that touched his neck, his brow drenched with sweat.

Surely this was all just some kind of misunderstanding!? They just wanted him for a ransom, right? His family was wealthy, they could pay a healthy sum for his safe return! Surely he wasn’t just going to be killed in a place like this! Such things simply didn’t happen in Isra, he had been traveling on a safe road...

The merchant could feel his legs growing weaker by the second as many terrible thoughts passed through his mind. And then… The pressure from the blade was gone, replaced with a sharp pain. Gurgling as blood filled his lungs, the merchant collapsed limply to the floor, a few twitches denoting his final attempt at survival.

Wiping the blood of the blade off on the merchants shirt, Greed resheathed the dagger before directing an inscrutable gaze towards Pride. Arms hanging loosely by his sides, Greed waited to see if their master had any more instructions to give them.

Wrath’s chosen victims had been two street toughs that had tried to menace him to get his stock of Blue Blood. The two men had been half-dead when he brought them to their master and the slitting of their throats was essentially a mercy. Gluttony had taken one of the dealers that had clearly taken too much of their supply for themselves. Not that this was a real problem but it kept up the illusion.

“Our quarry should be here shortly. We’d best not be when it arrives, I’d rather not test ourselves against it. A waste of time and potentially resources. So, this is your last chance to ask any questions you might have. Once the trap is sprung, we begin.”
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Pride was waging war, privately thus far but soon it would be open, it would be a chance for all of them to prove their worth. Envy felt her worth was nothing in comparison to her supposed brother. She was reminded time after time of the inadequacy of her abilities to him. Pride wrapped it around her neck like a shawl so it was an ever-present reminder. Even emotionless she had something to prove her slim shoulders somehow still holding the fabric.

Casting it off was impossible for even as she looked at Pride she could not feel his name within her, could not feel envious as she was named, could not understand what it meant fully but instinct drew upon her. Drove her to be better by his orders.

Silence overcame her, no suggestions coming from her mouth, she spoke so openly to her clients, to those she sold to, but here it invited only reprimand.
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Sloth didn't have to guess at the woman's emotions; as the life faded from her eyes, it was clear; betrayal, disbelief, heartbreak, guilt, shame, rage, and finally, sweet surrender. The body dropped with a heavy thud as Sloth released his hold on her, feeling something. But what was that feeling? It was hard to tell. It took him a moment to realize it was a pity. He examined it, almost curiously as it went over him, but moving on from it wasn't a difficult task. Their leader asked if they had any questions; Sloth remained silent. He was ready, as he always was.
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Like his compatriots, Greed felt no need to ask any questions. He knew his role in this and so did his brothers and sisters. Pride’s plans always worked so what was there to ask? Perhaps he wished to see if one of The Set held any doubt about his plan… But who among them would hold doubt? Pride was their master and his methods were flawless.

Folding his arms, Greed continued to stare at Pride, silently awaiting the next order. Tonight would be a night to remember. There were few things that caused Greed to feel anything, but missions like these… They were something he relished.

Clapping his hands together Pride grins behind his mask. He was pleased that this Set, his children, his weapons were so ready to enact his plans. This is what he’d always envisioned. Mindless obedient soldiers who would work like clockwork to do what he needed done. He had made mistakes with Alden but he was certain that this time he had trained his automaton perfectly.

“Alright, be sure you take your dosage before we go.”

He informs them. Usually he administered it himself but he trusted them to take the drug that kept them in line on their own. Why wouldn’t they? They had no reason to question or work against his orders after all. He heads to pack up. The quarry for their trap would be there soon and they would not want to be there when it was triggered.

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The vial was so small, not incriminating, the powder finely crushed so it swept itself off of the tongue and down the throat as if it were sugar. The acrid taste was a poor comparison to such a sweetness as pure cane but it could be managed because it had been mandated that they take it. Pride had been careful in his assurances that they were taking their doses after all.

Envy cleaned her blade on the cloth of the man she had brought taking care to make the steel shine. She was bent down to do this while others picked up their vials. After she was finished she took her own. I should take this, she would think to herself, I should do as I’m told. Then again she always did as she was told and she wondered if for just once she did not would he notice? Would he notice the small betrayal and cast her in the same light as her brother? Surely if he was not here he had also once done something so innocuous as skipping his treatment as well. Treatment for what was another question. There were so many unanswered questions and she felt as if it would be silly to ask as everyone else was so self assured.

It made its way to her pocket. There it would stay.

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There weren't many things that escaped Sloth's notice. There was a reason he was a sharpshooter, a reason he chose the profession that he did. But it wasn't his problem, it was hers. Pride would deal with it, as he always did. Sloth took the medicine without question. Sloth didn't question orders often, if ever. He hadn't questioned anything for as long as he could remember. That wasn't a very long time, but memories didn't seem so important to Sloth. Not anymore. He couldn't remember why it was so important to have them, anyway. All he knew was that it kept him from feeling any emotions. Emotions were messy, complicated things. Obeying was simple and easy as pie. Sloth liked pie. And Sloth liked to keep things simple. There was only the job and the work needed to be done to complete it, and that was that.

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Popping the top off the small vial, Greed poured half the treatment into his mouth. Swallowing with a single gulp, he frowned slightly at the less than pleasant taste, wishing that there had been some water to wash it down with. Quickly putting the half empty vial back into his pocket, Greed felt rather pleased with himself. While Pride’s orders were absolute, surely he could allow himself this one thing… The things he felt when the effects of the treatment grew weak, it was something he liked. He also felt satisfaction in fighting, but the treatments always muted that satisfaction. Surely, even if it was just once, he should be allowed to feel what only a master at work could. He deserved that didn’t he?

Stretching both arms and rolling his neck back and forth, Pride began to mentally prepare himself for what was to come. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been filled with so much anticipation. Had he ever been?