Note: Maybe it's the concussion, but I'm very tired lately and when I'm tired I tend to be unhappy. As a result, I am giving up on the prologue. See end of post for details. >.< Sorry if this is a let down after the first half. =P
Prologue: Trial of a Villain
“Esten what have you done?” cried Ferendelsh.
Esten clenched her hands together, forcing herself to keep her face blank.
“I don’t know what you mean, sir,” Esten said calmly, meeting her district director’s furious gaze with a blank one.
“You know what I’m talking about! Less than an hour ago I get a call from Veresh, of all people! And you know what he says? He says to me ‘Hey big brother! How’s life in heaven? Still as boring as three centuries ago? Hey, did I tell you I got a promotion? No? Well it’s great! Now I get to process the new souls coming in and assign them punishment guides. Oh, sorry. The reason I called, is because you’ll never guess who’s sitting in the lobby! No, not another rogue judge. One of your high and mighty honoured souls! What do you mean how do I know? I stole a pair of those nifty glasses on my way out, of course. He’s brighter than that fire under Bezelbub’s desk. I had my little assistant check it out, he’s attached to some other soul, a nice dark one too. Damn, I’m going to enjoy sentencing him. Thank Esten for me! We’ll break him before the year is out, promise.’”
Esten kept her face blank, but inwardly she was ripping Veresh in half. That, and gaping at Ferendelsh’s ability to memorize things. The two brother’s were opposites, from the sixteenth universe. There, they’d been faeries, of the large variety. She hated when Ferendelsh came to her office, the souls that saw his fluorescent wings always got confused and agitated. Now, the wings quivered in rage.
“The girl was sinful, so I sentenced her to time in hell. They came as a pair-”
“Souls are judged separately, Esten! How dare you ignore the rules! You probably did it just to get back at the administration for sending you here. Figured it would be a nice payback, huh? Well it’s not! They heard about this and they’re fit to be tied! If we don’t ge that soul back both of our arses are going to be on the line!”
Esten winced, disliking the loud and inappropriate language. She stood, slamming her hands down on the desk and leaning over it.
“You listen to me, Feren. Listen well. I never would break a rule like that. Yes, I don’t much like my assignment. Yes, I think the new system is horrible. But I did not send tha soul to hell just to get even. I sent her to hell; he wanted to go with her. There are different rules for honoured souls then there are for normal ones. Those rules say that we give them what they want. He wanted to go, I didn’t have the authority to stop him. And don’t swear in my office!”
Ferendelsh paled, shrinking. They had been trained together, and he of all people should know she was a stickler for the rules. Inwardly, Esten was banging her head on the wall. She had been more than happy to let the soul go, it was true. Perhaps too happy. But still, the rules said nothing on the matter, and if punishment could take the shine from an honoured soul, then separating it from the love of it’s life—and afterlife—would probably not have been the best choice.
“They want him back,” Ferendelsh said finally, getting over the fact he’d just been well deservedly cowed.
Esten sat in her chair and rubbed her temples. “There’s no way hell will give them back.”
“You’d better find a way, because if you don’ we’ll both be recycled A.S.A.P. And personally, I didn’t much enjoy life. It sucked.”
Esten sighed. “Go tell Fendyl to stop bringing souls in, I’ll have to go myself.”
Ferendelsh opened his mouth to argue, but obviously remembered that Veresh had always had a soft spot for Esten.
“Alright, just hurry. If I know my brother, and unfortunately I do, he’ll be processing them as fast as he can.”
###########
Veresh was not happy. Processing an honoured soul would have gotten him a serious promotion, but at this moment, processing the soul would earn him the enmity of the one soul he did not want to cross: Esten.
“You realize that this is out of your hands now, don’t you?” he asked, keeping a smile on his face. Esten hadn’t been to hell for a while, but she didn’t bat an eye. Veresh felt a little disappointed, his razor sharp teeth and blood red eyes should have gotten a little reaction.
Veresh looked over at the two souls sitting before him. One, he knew, glowed with the aura of honour: self-sacrifice. The other, was masked over by a coat of sins.
“There’s been a call for a second judgement. The administration feels that due to the size of the file and the limited time constraints there was an error.”
Veresh laughed. “So, basically, they want him back and the best excuse you could come up with is ‘we read the file wrong’? Please Esten, level with me.”
Esten sighed. “Listen Veresh, it’s very simple. This soul does belong here, so I’m taking him back. You don’t have the authority to stop me, he’s not in hell yet.”
“Hmm, perhaps. But I do have the authority to keep the girl,” Veresh said, a wicked grin playing across his thin lips.
Esten shrugged, playing it cool. She knew what was coming, but according to the rules, the girl had to pay her sentence…
“We belong together,” the female soul said suddenly. Veresh and Esten turned to her.
“There are rules, miss,” Esten said, as soothingly as she could. “A soul much be judged on its actions. He deserves heaven, you deserve hell. You have to understand-”
“I deserve hell as well.”
Esten jumped. Both the souls could speak? The resonating voice had indeed come from the male soul, who had taken a defensive position between Esten and Yazra’s soul. She frowned.
“If he wants to stay here, then Hell’s willing to get him a representative,” Veresh said offhandedly. Esten sighed. This was much too complicated.
“I’m calling a trial,” Esten said finally. Veresh sat up in his seat.
“You can’t-”
“I can. And I did. There are obviously some complexities that went unseen in their first judgement that need to be addressed,” Esten said firmly. She turned to the male soul. “If you’re so sure you deserve time here, then I’m willing to do a double trial. I cant promise you’ll be together for your full sentence, but it’s the best I can offer you.”
The souls looked at each other. Then hummed agreement. “We’ll do it.”
###########
Feedback question: After thinking very hard, I am thinking of getting rid of Heaven and Hell and replacing them with a less conventional concept involving different types of energies, 'soul' currents, and some other stuff. It wouldn't happen right away because I'd like to get on with DoaV, but would people think that would worK?
Only one question today, due to Keek having reached the point where she's restarted so many times she's almost ready to give up entirely. The new prologue is giving me trouble and is turning into the equivalent of a scene you don't want to write but have to. As a result (rather than give into my chronic RaMiBS [Restart and Make it Better Syndrom]) I am going to just skip right to the first chapter. This little plot within a plot idea (which is what DoaV is becoming if I keep with this current idea) is going to disappear for a bit while I work things out. Sorry guys! Please forgive me. >.<
*is starting to feel better at the prospect of getting back to Yazra* 
I'm so glad I love my MC.
^_^ Keek!
p.s. DoaV has a new progress journal! The second post is the 'Update Post', which has the update lists right up at the top so you can see if your names on it (in case you either want a PM when I update, or want me to stop PMing you when I update).
School hates Keek. She will be very busy for a while, don't expect much activity.
