Mortem Enterprises - Snippet #05

The champagne cork popped off, and everyone celebrated. They had successfully defeated the Revoirâme AND captured a few souls for Purgatorium, earning praises from Malice himself.

Leovik: ( smiles as his fellow agents clap happily, starting to pour the champagne into individual glasses. Then he noticed something odd. The God of Death put his hand on Illiam’s shoulder, and the two quietly disengaged from the party )

Vilary: Come on, slow poke! We’re thirsty! ( she laughs, not noticing the two leave )

Leovik: ( shakes his head, deciding not to question it as he focuses on pouring )

Meanwhile, Death and Illiam descended the stairs silently. Illiam wore an anxious expression, while Malice was stone-faced. They reached the bottom of the stairs, and instead of exiting the building, they went to the elevator doors across the hall, where a sign saying “OUT OF ORDER” hung. Ignoring the sign, Illiam pressed the down button. After a few moments, the doors opened, and ducking under the sign, they entered the elevator.

Typical elevator music played above them, and Illiam shifted nervously, unsure if he should break the silence between them. Just as he gathered the courage to say something, the elevator shook, the doors opened, and Malice exited without a word. Sighing, Illiam followed him, eyes glued to the floor.

Malice: ( steps up to a sizeable tubular chamber, peering through the frosted glass ) Is it ready?

Illiam: ( he strode to a workstation and looked over the diagnostic panels, adjusting some controls before looking up at Malice ) I believe so…

Malice: ( nodding, he steps aside, allowing Illiam to step forward )

Illiam: ( avoids looking through the glass, focusing instead on the panel on the outside and pressing some buttons before turning back to the divine.) Now, it just requires some sort of energy remnant.

Malice: ( he hesitated before lifting his hand. Illiam winced, expecting to be struck, but was surprised as the God reached for a necklace around his neck. He pulled a tree-shaped locket from under his shirt, removing it from around his throat and handing it over ) Careful, please. It is the only remnant I have left.

Illiam: ( gulps hard but nods in understanding, not allowing his eyes to linger long on the necklace before placing it in a small compartment below the tube structure. Taking a deep breath, he returns to the workstation) That should do it…

Malice: ( no longer looking at Illiam, his eyes focused on the glass, desperately trying to see beyond it ) This better work…

Illiam: ( nods and pulls a lever, watching the tube with detached indifference. Neither of them had noticed that they had an unsuspected follower… ) Just give it a moment, and then it should be—

A flash blinded them, and a whirling of energy inside the tube started to take shape. Once their eyes had readjusted, they watched the glass with anticipation. Then, there was a “bing,” and the glass door opened, finally revealing the entity inside…

Malice: ( his jaw dropped as he quickly moved forward to catch the falling form. Tears started to well in his eyes as he held a tiny infant with his two giant hands. Looking the infant over, he checked for marks or lesions, but then he noticed something that made him almost throw the baby at a wall. With clenched teeth, he stated calmly ) It…is a boy…

Illiam: ( his eyes widened in shock at the news ) What?! But…there was only a .001 chance—

Malice: ( straightens, his form growing more prominent than before, his hands shaking as he holds the child ) This…can not be…

Erilyn: What are you doing?! ( she finally shouted, revealing herself from behind the wall. Before any harm could befall the now crying infant, she crossed over to Malice and took him ) Who is this…?

Illiam: ( pauses for a second before mumbling ) It’s his son…

Malice: Do not call it that! It is a failure! ( he shouted, raising his arm to strike Erilyn, but she stepped out of his reach )

Erilyn: You are not going to touch this child! Not while I’m here! ( she proclaimed )

Malice: ( he opened his mouth, ready to tear both her and the infant into oblivion when his eyes fell onto the child’s eyes. They were a sparkling emerald, looking up at him with a quivering upper lip, an expression he’d seen before from— )

Erilyn: ( recognizing the look of pain that crosses Malice’s face, she turns away, holding the baby securely in her arms ) I don’t know what you were hoping for, but this child deserves to live. If you genuinely can’t bring yourself to be there for him…then we will be.

Illiam: ( he looks back and forth between Malice and Erilyn, his eyes wide with fear, unsure of what Malice would do )

Malice: ( a single tear trickles down his cheek, and he simply turns on his heel, his cloak billowing as he heads toward the exit. Once Malice was in the elevator, he called out to Erilyn ) If I ever see the child again, I will destroy it along with every agent at Mortem Enterprises.

Erilyn pursed her lips together and nodded as the elevator doors closed. Once he was gone, she took a deep, relieved breath and glanced down at the unsuspecting child, who had started to fall asleep cradled in the nook of her arm. Illiam also released his held breath, putting his head in his hands.

Illiam: You are…the bravest soul I’ve ever seen, Erilyn. ( he confessed, lifting his head slightly to look at the slumbering child )

Erilyn: ( she said nothing at first, still staring at the little one ) How could someone be so cruel to something so…harmless?

Illiam: ( he frowned, unable to come up with an answer )

The two stood there briefly, admiring the child before returning to the others. The infant was met with varied responses. While many of the women were intrigued by the presence of such a youngling, the men were dubious, especially when Erilyn revealed that the boy was never to be seen by Malice. After some time, though, the child was welcomed by every agent of Mortem Enterprises—all except for his father, the God of Death.