“Pride, Perfect, Peace: Superbia.”

No matter how many people I save, the second I’m reminded of all those I’ve killed, I’m rendered with a guilt so great it makes death desirable.

I peer down into the pond I squat near, staring at my reflection. My pretty face, that mole near my eye, my annoyingly long hair I refused to cut or trim for vanity, my big green eyes that used to be gold not unlike my pale skin that was once that color, too. This face reflecting back in the water, wasn’t always mine, and when I look at it, I see my old face flicker through, along with the sin of the man from whom I took it.

Jorvain Alberchet, the prideful hero.

“Come on princess quit gazing at your pretty face.”

Dain teased, patting my head as he walked past.

“Hey!”

I whined, trying to calm my heart, i had spent years with them, they didn’t know who I used to be, and yet whenever they’d say something like that, comparing me to royalty, I panicked, like the pitiful imposter I was.

“Dain’s right we’ve got places to be and food to eat, if Emrys doesn’t get us lost again with that darn map, we should be arriving in an Avaritia-ruled town.”

Maelis said, their arms folded behind their back as they walked lackadaisically at Dain’s side.

“Quit pestering him! If you had a pretty face like that, I’m sure you’d stop to admire it every once in a while.”

Emrys said bashfully, her smile beaming as she did a small bow, helping me to my feet.

I laughed, smiling back at those eyes that looked at me with love.

“Every once in a while?”

Dain shouted sarcastically from ahead.

Although at times, they seemed so silly to me, I found myself holding these humans dear in my heart. The Sol Viridis : my gifts to this world i’ve come to love in turn for it to love me too. The Sol Viridis. A peace offering to show I am choosing peace over pride.

Jorvain Alberchet over Superbia, this new family I’ve found over the ones I’ve abandoned..my mother and my seven brothers I ran away from, seeking a new life.

***

On we walked, down a long dirt path, lined with lush trees, whose leaves fluttered in the wind, adorned with singing birds, that’d land on my finger. I beamed and the sun always did the same, I suppose it still swooned under my soul, even in the form of a human. Being a human meant being weaker, meant now that I lost my arm it has to stay that way, which I hated. But beyond physical things, being human meant having to learn to behave as one, feel as one, live as one through the good and the bad. I loved it.

“I love this world, humans, nature, why would anyone wanna corrupt all this?”

I smiled, shutting my eyes as the sunlight kissed me.

“There he goes again, so odd.”

Maelis says with a laugh. That’s what they always did, I could say it a million times, odder than the first and they’d just laugh with love and accept me as one of them.

“The sins don’t love humans, they were created to inspire hate in their hearts through their different sins to see humans bring corruption upon themselves and the earth.” Emrys explained, holding out her hand as a leaf fluttered into her palm.

Her words are true, and I hate it, I hate Satan for making sin, for making Superbia, Acedia, Avaritia, Luxuria, Ira, Gula, and Invidia. All seven of us, concepts to corrupt without meaning.

“I’ve never understood the Servus, how they can worship literal demons from hell, the sins are Satan's spawn, yet they say they’re necessary, not meant to be slain. “

Dain growled, the very sentiment always seriously pissed him off.

And of course their was that side of things, the Servus that worshipped me and my siblings, who see meaning in our mother making us. They call it balance, they call it beautiful, maybe they're right in some regards, if I weren’t once pride, I would have never found humility and peace, if Dain weren’t once consumed by wrath he never would have found calmness and compassion, if Maelis weren’t stagnant with sloth, they never would have found hope and spirit, and if Emrys wasn’t abandoned to drown in envy, she never would've found gratitude and appreciation.

Still, I hate the Sins. Acedia who caused the Servus to steal Maelis’ family and town from them. Invidia and Ira whose Ardor tortured Emrys' and Dain’s hearts. And the rest of them.

I found all the members of the Sol Viridis at their lowest, by chance we came together, although in Emrys case, I searched for her, seeing as I made a promise to her mother, a member of my Servus, a woman I was once in love with, a woman who worshiped me mindlessly as Superbia, when I left my to be someone new, she begged that I find her daughter she had been away from since birth.

I did, and I took Emrys in, not by chance but by fate, the truth is while I’ve come to realize her mother's idolization of me was not indeed love, nor was my prideful pleasure in it, it still stopped me from reciprocating the riveting feelings I knew Emrys had for me, I loved her, in a real way, but in a fatherly way, instead of the way she’d prefer. I was yet to figure out the most human way to handle it all.

I looked over her face as she walks with her head in her map, mumbling to herself about the next turn we needed to take, she knew Maelis was gonna make fun of her if she got it wrong again.

I smiled—and she caught me, smiling back with rosy cheeks.

Soon we arrived in Avaritia, a town ruled by my brother, the fourth eldest of us. I was the oldest, luxuria was the second oldest, Ira after him, then Avaritia, Invidia, Gula, and Acedia who despite being the youngest, looks the oldest.

This town was particularly barren, the townsfolk that lined the walls would stare with a greedy glint in their eyes. Maelis made sure we held our belongings close. I felt bad for them, the effects of my brother changed them. And then I felt hate for myself and him.

“Is there even going to be any food to eat here?”

Maelis asked, glancing around.

“The kind man from the last town said this town had some of the best food he’s ever had, he knows the chef of the most well-known pub, Rose Reman. Of course there's food to eat!”

Emrys said confidently with a haughty smirk, her head held high.

“Yeah well who knows if that chef is even in the pub? This whole place looks empty, where is everyone?”

Dain asked, taking off his helmet. He had started doing that more and it made me happy, I knew he was guarded, insecure about his scars and crooked nose, but he was really a handsome guy.

“ROBA!”

Someone screamed from afar, exchanging quick, panicked glances we all began rushing in that direction—

The closer we got the more I could make out the sounds

More panicked screams

‘Roba! Oh my goodness, roba!‘

Some laughter and mockery

‘Ahaha! Look at him‘

And panic.

‘What do we do?!‘

I shot forward, even past the others, till I reached a group of people. Pushing through the crowd, my eyes went wide—

There on the dirt, laid a boy—a slime seeping into his mouth, he flailed helplessly, pulling at it desperately, rolling around rapidly, his cries and screams muffled by the slime.

I shot forward, sliding onto my knees—the crowd gasping in shock as I reached my hand into the slime—yanking its core from its mass and crushing it in my hand. The slime loosened , sliding off his face onto the ground.

He had blacked out. His hair was short , a hazel hue, clinging to his face with gel, his skin was warm and brown, the side of his cheek hugged by a scar, his lashes fluttered , glinting with gel from the slime.

I held his head up, placing it on my lap, my hair falling loose from my prior panic.

I moved my head to his chest , positioning my ear to his heart—my eyes widened, it was still beating, brilliantly, like a song that refused to go silent.

I stayed like that for a while, the others eventually caught up , and the villager filled us in on the story. I learned his name was Roba Reman, that his mother was the chef of the town, but had passed away. I learned that he had been slaying all sorts of enemies, trying to join the adventure guild, that he was trying to be a hero, as the townsfolk put it, but to me, he already was a hero.

I smiled, and soon his eyes were fluttering open, blinking back at mine—his eyes were a deep brown, sad and full of tears but sparking with soul and light.

He gasped, coughing and crying.

“Hey, hero! Are you alright? The villagers told me what you did, that’s very brave of you.” I said softly, looking into his eyes.

He blinked at me, sobbing—suddenly he wrapped his arms around me, sobbing against my chest.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay.”

I cooed, wiping his face with the back of my hand.

“Why did you go to slay the king slime alone?”

I asked gently.

“I just wanted things to be different “.

He cried, working himself up all over again. But those were the first words he spoke to me, and although they were vague, they reached my heart. He didn’t just want things to be different, he wanted to be different. Just as I did, not long ago.

“I could use a brave hero like you in my party, would you part ways with your town and join me?” I asked.

And in his eyes I saw it—love, not for me, not yet. But for what I was, what he thought I was. A hero, and in my heart the doubt of my own heroics settled. Roba reminded me why I’m a hero, because I have to right my wrongs, the wrongs of my family, of my past. And make the world a better place.

Not as Superbia but as Jorvain Alberchet the great hero. And I can only hope, that when everything is said and done, you’ll all still find it in your hearts, to love and forgive me.

End.