Descendus Averno Facilis Est

Chapter ii

(We recommend listening to this song as you read this chapter, as we felt the mood of this song worked perfectly with the mood of the chapter) 

“The gods must not have us in their favor. What could we have possibly done to anger the-“

The senate erupted within the presence of the Emperor Kim Seok-Jin. A flurry of objections and hypotheses tried to over-ride each voice that dared to let out a sound. Each voice trying their desperate attempt to rise higher towards the throne. Their greedy eyes and hands stained the pure gold. A hand lazily began to raise itself among the cacophony of voices, a silent resistance which the chaos could not resist adhering to the demands of that hand. Silence followed. A voice took control of the room and through a light yawn, Emperor Kim Seok-Jin spoke.

“No,no,no. I’m pretty sure they just passed gas, one might say they just passed wind,” his familiar squeaky laugh overpowering the angered muttering of his senate at the very words that left their Emperor’s mouth. Taehyung the Emperor’s half-brother, seated to his right, had made a weak attempt at preventing himself from laughing at his brother’s immature joke, but to no avail. A restricted laughter slipped passed through Taehyung’s corners of his lips. The weakest seams. His hand rose to cover his mouth as laughter escaped. The gaze of the senate burned up towards the two ‘immature’ leaders that reigned over ‘The Great Roman Empire’. As if on cue Jin heard a deep sigh of annoyance from Min Yoongi, his bodyguard and closet friend, from his position behind him. Jin’s smile spread even further, he knew that Min Yoongi ‘hated’ his jokes, he would always tell him this but Jin doubted Yonngi’s words.  

“Now is not the time to be making ill-timed jokes, Emperor Kim,” a cold and commanding voice cut through the torrent of noise. Jin wiped at the tears spilling from his eyes and looked up to the source of the voice, his bright smile never faltering.

“Senator Judas. Is there something you wish to add?” Jin questioned, keeping his eyes focused on the man seated on his right.

“Yes,” the man stood.
“It is clear the gods have been angered by some action we have taken or failed to satisfy. Perhaps the gods are unpleased with our actions regarding our neighbors and their antics.” He paused to take a breath, only for his Uncle David, the highest advisor for the Empire’s War tactics, to interrupt him.

“Our neighbors are wild unruly creatures, fraternizing with wild nymphs and the likes of those wild river sirens.” Each word was spat with anger, something that caused both Jin and Taehyung to frown. Both were aware of their poorer and troublesome neighbors, but their behavior was never violent. Always joyful, they were forced to steal what they could from the boarder. What angered Jin further was the senate’s prejudice against the poor nymphs and sirens of their forests and rivers. Behind him, Jin could hear Yoongi grumble something with venom lacing his voice as he shuffled at the senator’s comments.

“I believe your words are uncalled for,” Jin’s voice no longer held any warmth or joy. His eyes flitted across his senate, daring another to speak up.

“Both our neighbors and the creatures that live along our boarders deserve respect, something of which many of you are losing from me.” He continued as he stared down his subjects.

A tense silence surrounded the grand hall a pin could drop, and the tense atmosphere won’t break. But Judas wasn’t going to let the atmosphere hold him back. He spoke.