Lies of Ira and Invidia

Whisper, Ira, whatever he was called, stood with his fists closed. He couldn't do anything in the state that he was in. But he felt an immeasurable anger swell within himself. All of his deceit had been spilled by one of his own kin. However, he somewhat expected that Invidia would do such a thing. He always was somebody who only cared about taking away the possessions of others.

"Whisper... Ira... Wrath?" Syren repeated. It could have been possible. He didn't know. His shadow blade was still just inches away from cutting Invidia's neck. He didn't seem to be lying. He had no reason to lie about anything he has said so far.

Tyra stood there confused, but let Syren decide what to do.

Syren looked back at Whisper and asked, "Is that true?"

"No," Whisper replied angrily, "Invidia is lying. Kill him and be done with it."

But as Syren looked closely at Whisper's snake eyes, he couldn't tell whether he was telling the truth compared to Invidia's dead eyes that spoke only truth. And he could tell that both Invidia and Whisper were looking straight at each other. If Invidia could see him, then perhaps Whisper was lying about who or what he was. But Syren just couldn't be sure.

"The snake lies within truth. You shouldn't trust him, Syren. What did he do to convince you that he was a whisperer?" Invidia asked.

"He... he told me about the time he whispered in my ear about stealing a teddy bear."

"Teddy bear?" Tyra asked quietly. Before Tyra had her blade ready to fight without much care as to what they were saying, but now she began to listen very intently to their conversation.

"Ahh. That," Invidia said, "What an embarrassing moment for you. Embarrassing and terrible. It kept you up at nights. I know that your memories are a bit scrambled, but at least that seems to be intact. I remember what we all told you in your little head. You wanted to take that teddy bear because you had a crush on some girl. You planned to take her toy and the next day you'd give it to her and she would herald you a hero."

"You know, too," Syren said.

"Of course. We were all there. Me. Ira. Superbia. Gula. Libidine. Avaritia. Apathios. All of us gave you suggestions. Tell me. At the time, were you hungry?"

As Invidia spoke those words, he did remember having a thought just as he was about to take the teddy bear. He wanted to also take some cupcakes that were next to it. He didn't take them, but he remembered that he was hungry for it. Invidia continued, "Gula's suggestion. Although, his suggestions are very crude at most. He likes to grunt and speak with simple terms. Sometimes you can hear that worm growl. The teddy bear thing was sort of a joint effort between myself and Libidine. I thought about taking it as you didn't have one. And Libidine thought that the girl was cute and came up with some terrible plan to get her. Two voices are louder than one especially among the ocean of voices inside. Pride could care less as he thought you could do better. And Ira thought that if you wanted her, that you should just hit her over the head and take her. Avaritia suggested you sell the bear. Apathios didn't really care and stood to the side. And then there were the others sinking in the sea being drowned out with the occasional cry here and there that reach your ears."

As Syren heard Invidia's words, he began to believe him even more. He remembered having those specific thoughts in his head at the time.

"Don't listen to him," Whisper said. But Syren shouted, "Keep quiet, demon!"

"It doesn't matter what you believe," Invidia said, "We were there. And so was Ira. Whatever Ira knew about your past, we all know."

"Oh. That's just great. So every demon knows that embarrassing moment in my life," Syren complained.

"Yes. Embarrassing and terrifying."

"Why do you say terrifying? When I recall back to that moment, I don't feel any fright or terror."

"Your memories are fragmented. Although, Ira and I remember everything, you don't. I wonder why he didn't tell you?"

"Shut up, Invidia," Whisper said, but he didn't care to listen.

Syren wanted to know what Invidia knew. And Tyra listened in. She was becoming more interested in what they were talking about as she started to become convinced that she was the girl in Syren's memories. Tyra remembered in one village that her teddy bear was lost one day. It was shortly returned by a young boy around the same age who found it. Tyra couldn't specifically remember where that happened, but she did remember when. When Tyra lost her teddy bear, she threw a tantrum. She wouldn't leave without it. She regretted her actions ever since that day. When her teddy bear was returned, they left on their caravan. Her parents were running late because of Tyra's tantrum, and had no choice but to go at night. And that's when the vampires struck. That's when Tyra's parents died. If Tyra left her toy, then her parents would have been alive. None of this would have every happened. She wondered whether Syren was that same boy. Or whether it was a coincidence.

Invidia continued, "Tell me about that time with the teddy bear? What specifically happened?"

"Umm. I took the toy when no one was looking. My parents found out. They forced me to give it back. And that was the end of it."

"What happened when your parents found out? Did they yell at you? Did they smack you?"

"I... I don't remember. I don't know. I think they yelled at me, but I can't remember the details."

"Those memories are incomplete. You unconsciously filled them in with memories that you'd like to have or rather have."

Then, Syren began to remember the time he put on the black choker. The first time he did, one of his memories of eating rotten food after his parents have died was changed to have his parents watching and being chained up. He began to question his own memories. He didn't know what was real or not.

As Tyra listened, it became more clear to her that Syren really was that same child. She remembered a short brat that looked like Syren handing her back the teddy bear. He was dirty and seemed to be slightly bruised. But Tyra only cared about getting her toy back.

Syren began to lower his shadow blade from Invidia's neck. As he did so, Invidia eyed a nearby knife that was used to cut open Jaro. Both Tyra and Whisper noticed.

"Look out!" Whisper shouted as Tyra went in. She didn't think that she would have had enough time to kill Invidia, but thought that she could at least pull back Syren enough so that he wouldn't get too badly hurt.

Before Syren could react, Tyra grabbed him away and Invidia held the knife in his hand. Tyra was surprised that the demon didn't try to attack.

Invidia pointed the knife at Syren, Tyra, and Whisper.

"See," Whisper said with a long grin on his face, "I told you he was lying. He was only trying to lull you into a false sense of security."

But Syren was confused by Invidia's behavior. Something didn't seem right. Invidia didn't look like he was planning to fight. He pointed the knife back at his own heart.

"What are you doing?" Syren asked.

"I am the demon of envy. All I can do is take away. But today I will go against my very nature. I will offer you a gift. With my death, I can provide those missing pieces in your mind," Invidia said as his knife touched his own shadowy skin.

"It's a trick," Whisper said with full confidence, "Invidia is the embodiment of envy as he said. He is incapable of going past his own nature." Invidia did struggle with it. His hands shook before he could even pierce his skin. "He offers nothing and takes away everything. He is nothing but a shadow that can't - "

But in an instant, Invidia had a sudden burst of resolve and pierced his own heart. Black blood spurted out in all directions. The puddles began to darken with his blood. Whisper looked back at Invidia and exclaimed in pure shock, "Impossible."

Whisper truly couldn't believe the Invidia would do something against his very nature.

Syren, Tyra, and Whisper watched as Invidia stood there with the knife deep in his heart. They couldn't believe their own eyes. Was it really a trick? They have never seen such an act that defied logic. Gula killed itself as it couldn't control its own nature. Invidia killed himself as he denied his nature.

"I offer to you, Syren, myself," Invidia said, "I look upon you and see that brighter world. You are the child that should have been. A pure child. The child that was alive seconds after birth before being corrupted by this world. You are not the Syren that lusts for power and death. You are not the Syren that was made wholly monstrous. When you remember, please don't think of yourself a monster. You are not a monster."

As Invidia fell to his knees as more black blood oozed and sputtered out in a fantastic display, he continued to speak as if he didn't feel his own life slowly draining away, "I am Invidia, demon of envy. I am weak and pathetic. I can bring down giants to ants, but I cannot squash the ant nor the ant squash me. I can take away all the treasures and knowledge, but be none the richer nor wiser. That is my gift and my curse. This is my life that sputters out against everything that I am. Take it. Take it!"

Invidia's entire body collapsed into a puddle of black water. It seeped into the ground leaving behind only the knife and a bracelet made of dull, black pearls that offered no shine nor glamour.

The demon of envy was reduced to nothing but a black puddle and dull pearls.