”For I have given unto thee all the tools to bring about my desires, the same gifts used by those before me…”

The Cathedral of Hate, located in the basement of a building at the promise land was far grander than any other temple surrounding it. Torchlight illuminated the wide central nave leading to the gilded sanctuary at the west end of the profane church. Carved serpents wound around the marble columns supporting the vaulted ceiling. Luridly colored frescoes depicted the greatest sins to ever happen, from the murder of Abel to the destruction of the world after the great flood. Life sized statues of legendary saints and apostles occupied recessed niches along the walls. Individual shrines paid homage to each of the Seven Deadly Sins. A choir composed of involuntary castrati sang glorious hymns to evil.

”That which is used to flense, grind, pierce, and burn….”

Whispered Eli James as he read from his bible, which was laid open on the marble pulpit before him. The illustrations accompanying the text depicted an enormous fire pit opening up in the heart of the ravaged city. Doomed souls plunged into the pit, condemned to eternal torment. The grisly woodcut promised great things ahead.

”AAAAAH!!!”

An anguished cry interrupted Eli’s sermon.

”It hurts, I…I don’t know anything…”

The pain wracked moans came from the hopeless police officer strapped to the altar a few feet away. The rookies dark blue uniform had been reduced to shreds thanks to Sin. His abused flesh bore evidence of torture. Sin stalked around the blood alter holding her favorite tool of destruction, a knife.

ELI JAMES IV: “So that ye might learn the truths which are hidden, that ye might pull secrets from the very hearts that hide them..”

Reciting the verses from memory, Eli watched as Sin crossed the dais to the alter drawing the ornate dagger from a sheath between her breasts. A scarlet cloak and corset flattered her figure. The particular blade she held was used only on the most sacred of occasions. She raised it hight above her head, its jagged point aimed at the lacerated chest of the unwilling sacrifice.

ROOKIE OFFICER: “Please I’m begging you…”

The rookie stared in horror at the dagger poised above him. Sin wondered if his insignificant life was already passing before his eyes.

ELI JAMES IV: “I’m sorry my son, but you have been poking your nose into Sin’s business far too much. I have it on great authority that you have been digging up information and evidence on her, linking my precious fiancé to the murder of Sarah Saint James, unfortunately for you I can not have this.”

ROOKIE OFFICER: “I..I sware I won’t say anything, I will lose all the evidence I have on her.”

Eli did not respond to the officers pleading instead he looked at Sin and nodded his head. Her pupils dilated and her tongue licked between her lips. No matter how many times she took a life, it never ceased to fill her heart with unholy fervor.

ELI JAMES IV: “And so see my kingdom arise anew upon the Earth. In Eli’s name.”

Sin plunged the knife into the officers heart, the congregation growled in unison.

”IN ELI’S NAME!!!”

LATER THAT DAY:

Death Merchant did not turn around as Sin entered the office. He stared bleakly out the picture window overlooking the promise land, his forehead resting against the cold plate glass.

DEATH MERCHANT: “I see you have rid the promise land of another weakling for Eli.”

Sin used a towel to wipe the rookie cops blood from her hands. She had come straight from the cathedral, not even taking the time to change out of her gore-splattered raiment.

SINCERE LEE WILD: “No it was not for Eli, it was for me. It seems that I was a little sloppier than I thought several months ago, and this particular individual dug up some evidence against me…..”

Death Merchant cut her off abruptly.

DEATH MERCHANT: “So you took someone’s life to save your own skin huh?”

SINCERE LEE WILD: “I did what I had to, Death it was the only way to keep me from going to prison, it’s the only time I let my emotions get the best of me and didn’t cover my tracks as well as I should have.”

Turning away from the window he grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, just the way she liked it. Sin knew she didn’t have to fear Death because they had history together, but she once did fear who he was and that made things more thrilling.

DEATH MERCHANT: “What happened to you Sin, what turned you into this person?”

Sin looked into Death Merchants eyes smiling.

SINCERE LEE WILD: “You did Death.”

He let go of her shoulders lowering his head.

SINCERE LEE WILD: “The way we use to be was amazing Death, we didn’t care about anything or anyone we were like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, but something happened to you and you changed, but I refused to. Instead I found someone, someone that makes me happy like you use to, someone who wants to destroy everything in their path.”

DEATH MERCHANT: “Eli?”

Sin nodded her head as Death Merchant raised his making eye contact with her once again.

SINCERE LEE WILD: “Yes Eli.”

DEATH MERCHANT: “And he truly makes you happy Sin, I mean he isn’t going to…..”

SINCERE LEE WILD: “Why does it seem like you are always questioning Eli Death? I suggest ed to Eli that you join the congregation because I thought you would be a good addition to what we are trying to accomplish, not so that you could question him. You are suppose to be protecting him from the outside world that wants to hurt him.”

DEATH MERCHANT: “I joined the congregation because you asked me to Sin. As far as protecting Eli I will not fail, I told him I would protect him and I will do just that, but it doesn’t mean that I have to believe that everything he is doing I approve of. You are a follower of Eli and the promise land, I am just muscle for hire.”

SINCERE LEE WILD: “You ask what happened to me, the question is what happened to you Death. I saw your face when you took that man’s life last week, you may have fooled the others, but I have known you for a long time and you can not tell me that you didn’t get pleasure out of it, you can’t tell me it didn’t bring back old memories as you drove that knife into his chest.”

Sin reached up and stroked his face to mollify him. The caresses seemed to please him, although his scowl persisted.

DEATH MERCHANT: “It did feel good Sin, but I don’t want to be that person anymore.”

Sin stopped caressing his face and dropped her hands to her side stepping away from him.

SINCERE LEE WILD: “You think you don’t want to be that person anymore, but you do Death trust me. Those voices your fighting in your head, I battled them for almost two years, but when I finally just gave in all the pain and anger went away, I suggest you do the same or Eli is going to……”

Before Sin could finish her sentence Eli stepped through the door and walked over to his desk placing the book of Eli on it.

ELI JAMES IV: “Sin hun am I interrupting?”

Sin walked over to Eli and wrapped her hands around his neck kissing him on the cheek, Death Merchant returned to his seat in front of the window peering out of it once again.

ELI JAMES IV: “Good because I have some news from the Xtreme Wrestling Federation.”

Sin sat on the edge of Eli’s desk as he plopped down in his leather chair kicking his feet up.

ELI JAMES IV: “It seems as though the Xtreme Wrestling Federation is trying to break us down. You are going to be in multiple matches. Seems as though your fist opponent will be Cam Lang in round one. The match is a little confusing, apparently fans will be bringing their favorite adult entertainment paraphernalia with them which you can use as weapons in the ring.”

Eli looked up from the phone he had dug out of his pocket as he read it straight off of the XWF website. Sin rolled her eyes shaking her head.

SINCERE LEE WILD: “Anything for ratings now a day’s.”

ELI JAMES IV: “After that it will be you and Cam Lang in a tag team match against Peter Gilmour and Andrew Morrison in a thumbtacks and barbwire match.”

Sin smiled as her eyes gleamed with delight.

SINCERE LEE WILD: “Thumbtacks and barbwire, now that is more like it.”

ELI JAMES IV: “And the last match of the night will be……well let’s just say it’s going to be chaos Sin.”

Eli said as he handed her his phone, her eyes skimming over the XWF website.

SINCERE LEE WILD: “You know it doesn’t matter what they try to do, or what challenges they put in front of us and the congregation were always going to come out victorious. It’s obvious they are threatened by us, and it’s obvious they are going to do anything to get rid of us. They want to make up these ridiculous matches hoping we will leave either by choice or due to an injury, but what they don’t understand is that when you put me in a ring and say anything goes, that I’m going to go above and beyond what anyone has ever done before.”

ELI JAMES IV: “I know you will hun, but I want Death Merchant at ringside that night just to be safe.”

Sin handed Eli back his phone shaking her head.

SINCERE LEE WILD: “No Death needs to be with you, to protect you. There are a lot of people out there that want to do you harm Eli so you need him by your side, you know that I can handle myself in the ring and out of it.”

Death Merchant didn’t react to either one of them, but instead kept staring out of the window.

ELI JAMES IV: “Death what is wrong my son?”

SINCERE LEE WILD: “Eli give him some time, he has to find his true self and you know better than anyone that sometimes that takes longer than expected.”

ELI JAMES IV: “Indeed I do Sin, indeed I do. So what do you say we go train for your match at Sacrafice?”

Sin nodded her head as they both stood up leaving the office and Death Merchant in his thoughts.