Dedicated to _atangemem_. For harassing the characters and me.

And ElisElps for thinking the sins were such good characters.

"What do you mean they escaped? You imbecile! You fool! Get out!”  Asani’s voice echoed through the great hall, the soldier scrambled from Asani’s feet, running as fast as he could.

Asani was furious. He started pacing, walking around his throne, and muttering nonsense to himself. No one could calm Asani when he was angry; no one tried to calm Asani when he was angry. Iliso Elibi stood beside the throne, watching his king pace and mutter nonsense to himself. To say Iliso was worried would be a lie. The king’s advisor had expected the bad news long before the captain had delivered it, and he had thought of a solution long before Asani was born.

“Where are the lieutenants? If the captain of my army is an incompetent imbecile, surely my lieutenants are not as daft. Send in the lieutenants!” Asani said, raising his hands to the doormen who looked to Iliso for approval.

Iliso nodded his head and the doors were flung open and seven warriors walked in. Their skins were different shades of brown and black but they were all polished to perfection. The warriors all sat cross-legged on the floor before Asani.

“You called for us your majesty.” The eldest of the lieutenants spoke.

“Yes, Changa, I called for you. My captain is a complete idiot; I just hope my lieutenants have a shred of intelligence in them.” Asani said, finally settling down on his throne.

“This is boring.”  Akin signed, placing his head on his hand in a bored manner and paying more attention to the marble floor.

“Don’t be rude, Akin!” Jaja’s voice thundered. He rebuked Akin for being childish and nonchalant before King Asani.

Akin gave Jaja a lazy stare, ignoring the angry warrior and focusing his attention on Asani.

“You need to control your anger better, Jaja. Shouting in my presence is just as disrespectful.” Asani said, pointing his staff at Jaja and glaring at the huge man.

Jaja was the tallest among the lieutenants, and second in command. It is believed that Jaja lived in the forest and frightened wild animals for the fun of it. One time, a lion had jumped at him and Jaja tore it to pieces with his bare hands. Everyone was careful never to offend Jaja because they feared he would rip them to pieces. Everyone except, King Asani.

“I’m sorry your majesty.” Jaja apologized, bowing his head in remorse.

Asani took his gaze from Jaja and back to a patiently waiting Changa who was giving Jaja and Akin a death glare that could induce death. “Like I was saying Changa, my captain is an imbecile and I need competent people to handle this issue.” Asani bellowed, making the entire hall resonate with the sound of his voice. “As you can see…”

The hall echoed with a high-pitched chuckle.  “You’re a funny man, your majesty.” Yaa chuckled. Covering her mouth like a shy, lovesick teenage girl. 

“Yaa, be silent when the King is talking,” Changa said in a calm, authoritative voice to the lieutenant with skin as dark as farming soil.

“I’m sorry, it just sounded funny to me,” Yaa said, unraveling the cloth that was wound around her eyes, revealing her empty eye sockets.

“Cover up your empty holes Yaa, some of us would like to keep our breakfast down.” Ojore said, bringing his long fingers to cover his mouth and stop himself from throwing up all over the place.

“Why are you all acting like children!” Jaja roared. He stood up in annoyance, looking at his fellow warriors in anger.

“Unless you want to join my enemies in the land of the dead, I suggest you watch the way you talk to me, Jaja.” Yaa smiled a devilish smile, glaring at him with her empty sockets and Jaja glared back.

“You should all come to my harem sometime, free yourself from all this tension and unnecessary emotions.” Njeri said, laughing heartily like a rich man as she fondled the smaller woman that sat in her lap.

Akin rolled his eyes in frustration. “Can we just get this over with? I need my sleep.” He signed, lying face up, staring at the ceiling of the great hall.

Iliso looked at the lieutenant like a mother would look at her spoiled children who were misbehaving and embarrassing her in public. “Changa, fix this mess now and let King Asani get back to what he was saying,” Iliso said and Changa gave a small nod in reply.

“Fix yourselves before I fix you all.” Changa said and the lieutenants fell silent. Akin sat up, Jaja sat back down and Njeri dismissed her company and Yaa put on her eye scarf. The lieutenants all sat quietly.

“Like I was saying, I need people with some sense in their brains to handle this issue.” Asani cleared his throat, bouncing his gaze among the seven lieutenants.

“If I may ask, what is this issue that bothers the king?” Ojore raised his skinny arm in the air, pulling his skinny body from the floor and standing like a palm tree. “ And how much are we going to get for it.” The last part wasn’t a question, it was bait. Ojore was baiting the king.

Changa gave Ojore her signature death glare and the tall man sat down.

“The issue is that a prisoner of mine has escaped and she didn’t escape by herself. She had help; from the revolution. The prophet, Yabona was in on this prison break. I want the prisoner brought back to me, alive.” Asani stressed the alive, keeping his gaze on Akin.

“I would not touch a single hair on her head.” Akin signed, raising his hands in defeat and assuring King Asani that he had gotten the message loud and clear.

Akin was the laziest lieutenant. He believed that the best killers were born silent and talking was too much of a chore, so, he learned sign language and never spoke again. Akin is believed to be the reincarnation of Bedreel as he has killed more than ten thousand people in his sixteen years of life.

“As for the pay, it would be double the gold you earn on a standard job.” Asani spoke to Ojore now, lingering his gaze on the greedy palm tree of a man. Ojore didn’t care about Asani’s gaze. He had more solid things on his mind.

Ojore was the richest man in the kingdoms. He had amassed so much wealth that he built himself a castle that competed with Asani’s. Ojore had long, skinny arms. The people believed his arms had grown that long because he was always stretching them out to collect money. Ojore was not like the other warriors, he wasn’t brutal or tall or buff or deadly but he was smart.

“When we raid the revolution, and that is if we find them, do we get to take the people as part of our payment?” Njeri smiled, rubbing her hands together in delight. “Just thinking of all the men and women brings me joy!” Njeri smiled wider.

Njeri was the daughter of Asani’s captain. Unlike her father, she was a born warrior. She used an ancient and evil magick to make her opponents see her as the most important woman in their lives and she would kill them by summoning Ukufunax Igazi to feast on their blood. Her wife was in charge of the harem that Njeri was so fond of and Asani blessed her harem with the most beautiful women and men he could find across the kingdoms.

“Take whoever or whatever you want as spoils but bring me the prisoner alive.” Asani said.

“You might want to get a pair of eyes for yourself, Yaa,” Xavion said with a worried smile on his face.

Yaa smiled back at Xavion, looking right at him. She knew his concern was fake and rubbish. “I don’t need eyes to do what I was born to do. You should be more worried about your jealousy being so obvious. I can smell it from a mile away.” Yaa smiled at the lowest-ranking lieutenant.

The other lieutenants tried to hide their laughs, battling to maintain their composure in fear that Changa would end them if they acted out of line, but Changa laughed too.

Yaa was the most beautiful of the lieutenants. She had skin as black as the farming soil. She had no eyes because she had carved them out. She believed that those with eyes were inferior to her and she didn’t need eyes to watch her enemies suffer and die.

“That must hurt brother.” Akin signed a mocking smile crept across his face, making the other lieutenants burst out in a second round of laughs.

Xavion glared a death glare at Yaa, he was annoyed with the smug look she had on her face and he wanted to wipe it off but he also wanted to stay alive so he regained his cool.

The laughter died down and Changa spoke. “We would not fail you, my king.” Changa said, placing her head on the floor in a bow and the other lieutenants followed suit.

Changa had killed her children, setting them ablaze when they refused to come into the service of Asani. She was given the title of head lieutenant as a reward for her act of loyalty. She had scars adorning every inch of her body, and she walked with a limp. A limp she had gotten from trying to battle forces the eyes cannot see.

“You had better not. Your lives would all be gone if you do.” Asani said, waving his hands and dismissing the seven deadly sins.

The lieutenants walked out of the hall. Akin walked lazily behind them all and Yaa was having a blast pissing off Jaja. Jaja was trying his best not to shout while he was in the hall and Yaa found it even more amusing and made an extra effort to piss him off, jabbing the huge man in his side.

Ojore walked with his long arms swinging back and fro like a pendulum. He was calculating things in that head of his, towering above all the other lieutenants. Changa walked in front of the playful lieutenants, a limp in her step and a hidden smile in her eyes.

The lieutenants were a replacement for the children Changa had killed to achieve all she had, but she would give them up in a heartbeat if Asani demanded it. Changa would do anything to prove her loyalty to the devil king. Njeri wasn’t concerned with what her colleagues were doing, she was more interested in the company she had brought with her and who she would share her bed with this night.

And, among these mad people, there was someone who had nothing but jealousy in his eyes. Xavion was the last of the lieutenants. He was never happy and he had tried to kill Changa because he believed that he was supposed to be head lieutenant. He was not from the Sands and had worked his way from the slave house to becoming a lieutenant in Asani’s army, but no matter how far he had come, Xavion always found something of someone that he ever so clearly coveted.

“I want you to meet someone, your majesty.” Iliso whispered.