- Sabu -
"Back in my past life, when I was still a child, I was an orphan who lived with other orphans."
Elijah, despite how crowded his thoughts were, made a point to listen. He leaned in as Sabu spoke.
"We were not being raised in an orphanage by some kind owner. We were being raised for a future of killing."
"Beatings, food denial, and practicing the most efficient ways to kill a target. That was our daily lives." As Sabu got deeper into his past his expression would stiffen.
"There was a week, maybe two, where we had gone without food entirely. Certain parts of the memory are hazy. The faces of the other children, the time, even what I looked like, but there is one part that has stayed clear in my mind."
Sabu began rubbing his arm slowly.
"We had been told that the end of our fast would be a special day. None of us believed it to be anything good. We had been taught that optimism was a weakness."
"The "special" day came and we were all thrown into a pit. We were told "The last one standing gets food tonight" and then our master left. I wish I could say that we hesitated to fight one another."
"We weren't given weapons. Maybe it was part of our training to teach us to always keep a weapon on hand, but it could have just simply been a means with which to destroy any last shreds of empathy we might have had for one another."
The silence that lasted for a few seconds while Sabu paused was chilling. No one had touched their drinks and everyone was careful not to make a sound.
"Luckily for me, I had snuck a needle in my mouth. I always had a rough time sleeping, scared that I might be killed at any time, so the needle was simply meant as a comfort. That comfort saved my life, which in hindsight seems pointless now."
"Eventually it was just me and one other. I was taller, and I had a weapon, so I felt confident in my victory. As the other boy ran to me I jammed my needle into his eye."
Elijah moved his hand to his eye. He felt a sympathy pain that he tried to ignore.
"The boy screamed. I went to punch him in the face and missed. The boy had been flailing around, and the daze of hunger mixed with fighting made me lightheaded. As I missed he latched onto my arm with his teeth."
Sabu stopped rubbing his arm. He looked down at it, pausing another few seconds before speaking.
"The boy held on with a desperate stubbornness that frightened me. I'm sure if he had been stronger he would have crippled my arm. I hit him over and over again, before finally grabbing the needle out of his eye and stabbing him in the throat repeatedly. I was aiming for his jugular."
"The boy released my arm and flopped on the ground, now drowning in his own blood. I fell over and stared at my arm, trying to ignore the sounds of the boy. Eventually, he died, and I was released from the pit."
Sabu's expression shifted to sadness. He felt far worse than he was letting on.
"To my shame, I still remember the meal I had that night as the best one I've ever eaten. I was so hungry and tired, that to have one good meal without worry that I had to share or that it would be taken away from me made it seem far better than I'm sure it was."
"As I was enjoying the meal I took a piece of bread and bit down on it. Maybe it was stale, maybe it was just the exhaustion, but I found it tough to chew through. When I bit down on it I looked at the bandages around my wound. It started hurting, almost like the boy was still biting me."
"I never believed in "fictional" monsters. My mind was always worried more about humans. Superstitions on the other hand were a different story. I believed myself cursed by the boy's ghost. I was starving and yet I put the bread I was about to eat back down for fear that it might spur the boy's spirit further."
"I didn't live a particularly long life, but in all my time eating I would always be wary that I would feel the pain again."
Sabu started to drink his beer, feeling like his throat had just gotten much drier. Death was the only one who joined him.
Sabu continued after finishing his drink.
"I was a level three prisoner. Lucifer eventually, mercifully, gave me a deal. When I was informed that I would rarely need food in this world I nearly wept. The thought of being freed from that curse was a relief I didn't think possible."
"That was until one day I was training and pushed my mana too far. I was fully depleted and starving. I think the lack of feeling hunger for so long had weakened my resistance to it. The only food we had was potatoes. Thinking I was free from the curse, I simply roasted one and took a bite of it."
Sabu lifted his hand to his arm and then stopped it. He gripped his hand to stop himself.
"The pain was back. Weaker, but back. I couldn't believe it. I would have gone mad if not for what Lucifer told me that day." He glanced at Lucifer.
Lucifer took a sip of beer and kept his eyes on the drink.
"I told him that the reason I gave him a contract was because I could still sense empathy in him. Other children from that "orphanage" that grew up often ended up in level four. They had become completely heartless to the world."
Lucifer sighed, embarrassed by what he was about to say.
"I told him that his pain wasn't a curse, but a blessing that he could still feel."
Elijah stopped himself from grinning at the line. He was sure that at the time, and maybe even now, it meant a lot to Sabu.
Sabu rolled up his sleeve to reveal the tattoo.
"I'm not proud of this like most of the tattoos one gets in this world. It often makes for an awkward lie when someone asks me." Sabu chuckled.
The chuckle surprised everyone in the group.
"I am truly grateful for the lack of hunger I experience in this world, and for Lucifer giving me a second chance. I did...horrible things in my past life. I think it's important you remember we went to Hell for a reason."
"No one goes to Hell on accident," Lucifer added in a monotone voice.
Elijah wasn't sure what to say. If his mind was full of confusing thoughts before now it felt almost empty due to overload. He had one thing he wanted to say though.
"I'll never compare my life to yours or anyone else's. I don't plan on being hostile to Heinrich, but don't expect us to be friends. I appreciate everything all of you have done for me, but I have no plans continuing this type of work when this mission is over."
Elijah downed the rest of his beer and left. He climbed into the supply cart and pulled out one of the illuminating bulbs and the guide.
- Lucifer, Peter, Elijah -
It was sunrise. Peter woke up. He struggled to stand up for a moment.
"Good to see you're awake," Lucifer said, sitting across from Peter.
"Did I miss anythin'?" Peter rubbed his back. "Before ya answer, next time I'm unconscious please lie me down on somethin' softer."
Lucifer made a small grin before returning to a neutral expression.
"Heinrich told Elijah."
Peter pushed his hands into his back and twisted his body a few times.
"How'd he take it?"
"A little better than I expected." Lucifer shrugged.
"That's good to hear." Peter rubbed his neck. "I hope Heinrich is doin' alright. I'm sure regardless of the reaction he would still be down afterward."
"He's fine," Lucifer assured. "Surprisingly enough Sabu decided to share the story about his "curse" as well."
"Really?" Peter was surprised. "Must be the two near-death experiences."
"You don't plan on sharing anything do you?" Lucifer gave a curious look.
"Not a chance." Peter smiled.
"I'll go tell the others you're up, so we can leave."
Lucifer jumped out of the cart and signaled the others that Peter was awake. Lao, Yvere, and Death climbed onto their uništi. Lucifer went into the supply cart.
"What did you read most of the night?" Lucifer asked Elijah.
"I read up on the races we fought. Spider women, foxes shooting fire, yuki-onna, etcetera. I re-read some previous pages on Heliopolis."
Elijah closed the guide and put it back into the crate. He joined the other cart with everyone else. He avoided eye-contact with Heinrich as he took his seat.
The group was off. They went through the border with everyone on edge, expecting another attack at any moment. Fortunately, it was peaceful.
The group traveled for a little while until eventually, they stopped. Lucifer took the straps off of two crates and carried them off the cart. Death joined Lucifer. Lucifer opened the crates and pulled out four tires from each.
The five from the other cart got out.
"You can stay in if you want." Death said.
"I'd prefer to not be in the cart when you're liftin' it," Peter said.
Lucifer went around replacing every wheel on the supply cart as Death lifted it off the ground.
- Everyone -
Elijah whispered to Peter.
"How much can he lift?"
"I've never seen him struggle so I can't say," Peter answered.
Eventually, all the wheels were replaced and the group went back to their original positions.
The uništi had slowed down, but it still didn't take long for the group to encounter the sand and heat of Heliopolis.
Elijah wiped his head. He couldn't believe the sudden heat increase would be so strong. He had read plenty of information on Heliopolis, so he thought he had a good idea of what to expect.
There was a distant sound. Elijah couldn't quite make it out. It kind of sounded like someone yelling, but Elijah couldn't place the language.
[DEEEEEEEEEAAAATHH!] A female voice was excitedly yelling as it got closer.
"Here we go." Death said.
Eventually, the yelling voice came into full sight. It was Nephthys. She was around 5'11" tall. She had a golden-tan skin tone with long black hair down to her chest. She was wearing a tight red dress, the bottom of which fluttered rapidly as she approached.
Once Nephthys was closer Death noticed she was actually riding on a large scarab. Nephthys started to ride alongside the uništi while talking with Death.
["Happy to see you again. It's been so long that I just had to rush over when I heard you were coming. I thought you would be here yesterday though?"]
["We ran into some complications. I'll tell you later."] Death answered.
Elijah was listening in on the conversation, trying desperately to decipher what they might be saying.
"She's happy to see him again. They're old friends." Peter said.
"You understand them?" Elijah asked.
"Don't worry, they speak human languages as well," Peter said.
Elijah was more interested in Peter's ability to understand the language than whether or not he would be able to communicate with the Heliopolis denizens.