A lamb to the slaughter, that’s what Vequeus was. They never did find out why they were sacrificed, but when you’re being killed as an offering to the gods, you don’t really have the time, or the headspace, to worry about little, trivial things like that. Mostly, you wonder how you got into the situation, and try to get out. 

Unfortunately, Vequeus didn’t quite manage the latter. Even worse, whoever was performing the sacrifice must have messed up, quite badly, because instead of waking up to the face of whatever god they were killed for, Vequeus wakes to what feels like the inside of an oven. It’s hot, and stuffy, not to mention entirely pitch black. Everywhere they look is just more darkness. 

Time passes differently in hell, that is to say, maybe time doesn’t pass at all, Vequeus doesn’t know. A minute ago (or was it an hour?) they were just standing around in the dark, and now they’re sitting in a very uncomfortable chair, squinting forward at a tall, hulking figure. 

It’s the Devil, of course it is. Because who else would it be? They’re in hell, after all, the Devil’s domain. 

One, very lengthy conversation later, Vequeus is somehow still alive. Or whatever version of alive they are now, because they’re certainly no longer human. It’s weird, Vequeus would’ve thought getting sent to hell would mean eternal torture, but they’re just hanging around in the dark, chatting with the Devil, who really isn’t that bad of a conversationalist, all things considered. 

Somehow, they end up with a job. Vequeus has never really been the sort of person to hold down a job for long, but something tells them that this is one they should probably work a little harder at keeping. There’s no official title (apparently hell isn’t all that big on organization, go figure) but Vequeus thinks, according to the job description they were given, that they’re something of an Angel of Death now. 

Their voice starts to take on a different quality, slowly but surely, and now whenever they speak, it’s like the eternal souls of the damned are speaking as well, echoing back and forth around a cavernous chamber. Maybe pretending to be a guardian angel and tricking humans into sinning so that they can be dragged, kicking and screaming, into hell isn’t that morally sound a pastime, but Vequeus was never that big on morals, anyway.

by afire