Chapter 8: Simulacrum Beckons

Part 1: Sanity's Bane (Floor 1)

The thunder that shook the heavens brought Gallows out of his pleasant stupor and he looked around, noting that he was once again a prisoner of his own body. The Zanzir, which was secured to his back by a crude leather strap, banged against his back monotonously as he walked quickly toward Simulacrum. With a sigh, he sat down on the floor of his subconscious and watched as Roka's thoughts blazed colorfully in front of him. Fascinated, he watched the reds and yellows fuse together and then fade away slowly.

(I wonder if that's how MY thoughts look? Hm. I wonder if there's a little Gallows running around in MY head? If there is, I feel sorry for him, the poor little bastard)

" We are here." Said Roka, his voice cutting though Gallows' thoughts like am icy knife. Gallows cringed as he watched a streak of lighting illuminate the dark ruins.

(Wow, talk about dramatic! I wonder if the Guardians planned that?)

I will now let you have control of your body. Don't try to run away, if you do, the results would be most unpleasant… Gallows nodded at this statement, knowing full well that, although Roka could not kill him, he could make Gallows wish that he were dead.

(Why are you doing that? I thought that..?)

Shut up and stop complaining! I have my reasons and it would do you good to drop the matter… Gallows concurred silently and felt as a heaviness weighed down upon his being. Almost immediately he fell down to his hands and knees, cursing a little as he did so.

"Damn gravity! Why didn't you tell me about that!?" snarled Gallows, slowly standing up, his spirit getting used to having a form. Roka snickered at Gallows' incompetence and began to shrink slowly from the material realm and into the astral realm. Gallows blinked at his father's sudden retreat and narrowed his eyes, looking cautiously toward the gates.

" Man, this place is creepy…" muttered Gallows quietly, fighting the chill that crept up his spine.

Stop being a wuss. They call this place the "City of Phantoms" for a reason….

( Yeah, but does it have to LOOK like the "City of Phantoms"? I mean, SHEESH!)

You know, you seem a lot more intelligent when you don't speak…

If Roka had a form, Gallows would have shot him a dirty look and then would have shot him with his gun.

(Why DID he let me keep my gun?)

Stop asking inane questions and start WALKING! We do not have all day!

Gallows sighed and slowly put one heavy foot in front of the other, watching in a strange, detached, way as "The City of Phantoms" slunk ever closer. As he walked through the gates, a cold wind rippled around him and then died, leaving him somewhat breathless. He stopped and looked behind him nervously, reassuring himself that there was no one behind him in this guardian forsaken town.

(That was weird..)

Having reassured himself that he was quite alone, he started to walk again, taking note of the hideous remains of the dead town. Here, on his right, was an ugly yellow building, its two windows gaping at him like an eye less corpse. On his left was…. He stopped dead and gaped at the building to his left. It was a good eight stories high and was painted blood red. Something, and he did not know what, was compelling him forward into the buildings gaping mouth.

(It wants me. It wants me to come in so it can eat me .. eat me … )

Snap out of it! What's wrong with you?! Can you not see that it's just a…..

"All the same….." Gallows mouthed, as he walked into the building slowly, his eyes empty and wide. Roka started and tried to snap Gallows out of his trance with a number of profanities and insults, unfortunately, his efforts were in vain and the two of them walked into the building, unmindful of the decaying man that stared angrily out of the socket of the adjacent building. Gallows was snapped back into a proper state of mind by a blast of cold air to his face. Blinking, he looked around cautiously, trying to let his eyes adapt to the darkness that surrounded him. That was when Gallows noticed that the walls were covered with soot… and some other substance that he could not quite put his finger on.

….. There is writing on the wall…..

"Hm?" said Gallows, feeling Roka tug his head toward the far northern wall. Gallows, squinting his eyes to get a better look, proceeded over to the said stone slab with the utmost caution.

The closer he got, the more jittery that he felt. Why would someone write on the walls? Was this a sign?

" Ansis Weis, Wanis unie…" muttered Gallows, tracing the scratchy writing carefully with his finger.

( Sanity Bane, Floor One? What kind of building IS this?)

So this is Sanity Bane… Interesting….

Gallows' eyes slit with irritation and he scratched his shoulder absently.

(Would you care to explain things to this idiotic man? I'm kind of lost.) Gallows smiled when he felt a wave of frustration roll through him. Roka might have been a demon, but he still had human emotions.

You are indeed a stupid man. However, I will tell you a little more about this building… and about Simulacrum. It is in your best interest to understand EVERYTHNG that I tell you, so listen well!

(I'm listening, talk whenever you are ready.) Thought Gallows, leaning against the engraved wall with a very serious expression on his face. Roka sighed and slipped deep into thought.

There was a time when Simulacrum was not called Simulacrum. It was once called Gaudium, the city of Joy. It was rather prosperous back in its prime and the residents that presided there were quite arrogant and happy to be that way. Each day was spent either counting their Gella or lavishing in their simple pleasures. However, fate assigned this "paradise" a very cruel disposition.

"The city burned….. Wiping out all of the people that lived here…" finished Gallows, his eyes closing with pity and anger. He was not sure HOW he knew that bit of information, but it was there, glaring in the recesses of distant memory. Roka flinched a little and then inwardly smiled, his son was not as stupid as he once thought. Gallows straightened up with a grunt and walked toward the exit, a grim frown on his face.

Where are you going? We NEED to be here! Stop, or I'll put you in so much pain that you'll…..

(Wasn't it you that tried to stop me from entering into this building in the first place? Roka, make up your damn mind! Do you want me to stay or go? If I stay, you better tell me more about this building, otherwise, I may decide to impale myself with this sword and be done with it…) Thought Gallows, patting the Zanzir with false affection. A feeling of a thousand knives tearing through his stomach made him drop to his knees in pain. A film of tears glazed his eyes and he suddenly felt rather nauseous.

Stop being a fool! You would not kill yourself so readily, you have someone that you "love"! snapped Roka, putting a sarcastic accentuation on the word "love". Gallows huffed angrily and slowly rose to his feet, rubbing his stomach a little as he did so.

(You got it all figured out, don't you Roka? Perhaps you're right, perhaps I wouldn't kill myself. But.. if you try to use me as an instrument against my friends, I swear I will run this sword through me before you can stop me! That would just ruin your perfect plan, now wouldn't it?)

A feeling of pain welled up within him, but then, seemingly as an afterthought, died down immediately.

Fine, I will tell you what I know. This building that we are standing in is directly linked to the astral plane. Think of it as a portal if you will. Spirits can roam through this building with no problems. The same holds true to this whole town. However, because this building IS a portal the spirits are the strongest here, that is why you were drawn to this building right away…

(Incidentally, did you feel as if we were being watched as we entered the building?)

Yeah, I did not care much for that feeling at all…

Gallows slowly did an about face and proceeded back toward the wall with the writings on it. He came to a sudden stop when he saw a smoky white form tracing the inscriptions.

Gallows swallowed hard and was about to say something when the figure slowly turned to face him. He felt Roka's heartbeat speed up and he started to feel nauseous. The figure that was staring back at them was Gallows' mother and Roka's wife, Mila Carradine. Mila smiled and tilted her head to the right, her silky brown hair cascading down her shoulder like a magnificent waterfall. Gallows took in several deep breaths and slowly walked toward her. Mila extended her arms and looked at her son longingly, her eyes glimmering with hopeful tears and pain.

"Mo… Mother….!' Whispered Gallows, a warm smile spreading across his face, Mila straightened her head and nodded. Gallows was about to rush into his Mila's arms when Roka's startled voice stopped him.

Look at her arms! Gallows STOP, she's going to hurt us! Her sprit is that of vengeance, not love!

Gallows looked at Mila's arms and gasped, deep slashes running along the veins of her wrist leaked bright red blood and yellowish pus in great quantities.

"Ugh…" said Gallows, stumbling back a little, still looking at his dead mother.

She wants vengeance…

The young Baskar's grimace lifted into a sneer and he unsheathed the Zanzir and held it in front of him, surprising both Roka AND himself. Mila looked at her son with both pity and anger, the sword reflecting in her deep blue eyes.

"Son, I am your mother, why do you draw a weapon against me?" asked Mila calmly, looking at her son intently, Gallows sighed and closed his eyes, lowering the sword down to his side.

"Because, you're not my mother, my mother was killed by my father…." Whispered Gallows regretfully.

Mila's deranged laugh made him open his eyes with surprise and look at her.

"So you would repeat the sins of your father?! I was expecting my son to be a little more honorable than that! Hmph, I guess Halle didn't raise you right, you dirty little bastard!" scoffed Mila, putting her hand over her stomach. Gallows looked at his mother, his hand loosening around the pommel of the sword, Mila's words had stung him deeply.

"I… I'm not him…. I…." He nearly dropped the Zanzir, but then reminded himself that it was important, and tightened his grip once again. Mila laughed and then took her hand away from her stomach, causing Gallows to look down at her midsection with curiosity. There, etched into her now bulging stomach, was an imprint of a human head, its features set into a perpetual scream of agony. Gallows blinked and raised the sword in a defensive position. Mila cocked her head and laughed bitingly, causing Gallows' blood to drop to below zero.

Mila's caustic laugh was cut off by a scream of agony. Gallows looked at her questioningly, the Zanzir still raised in a ready position. As Mila feel to her knees, grasping her burgeoning stomach, she looked at Gallows pleadingly and mouthed the words. " Please end my agony…"

Gallows, snapping out of his fearful daze, raised the Zanzir above his head and was about to behead his mother when all of the sudden her stomach exploded, sending her innards flying in all directions. Gallows stumbled back as a chunk of his mother's kidney splattered wetly against his face.

"Gaghhhhh!" cried Gallows, pulling the piece of kidney from his face with disgust and horror.

" Free….." whispered a voice at his feet, startled, Gallows looked down, not knowing what to expect.

….. Fuck….

With just one word, Roka had described the situation in its entirety. From what used to be Mila's stomach sprouted a pair of bony arms attached to an emaciated but somewhat muscular bust. Gallows looked at it at a lost for words, the Zanzir still gripped tightly in his hand. The head, which had first made its appearance in Mila's stomach opened its black, malicious eyes and stared at them balefully, causing both Gallows AND Roka to feel uneasy. Mila's lower body twitched and then started to move toward her upper half AND the upper torso of WHATEVER that was on the floor in front of him.

( I have to do SOMETHING, I can't let that thing fuse with mother… I…) A vice-like hand on his ankle snapped him cruelly out of his thoughts and back into reality. Looking up at him, with a smile on its face, was the mysterious THING that had erupted from the depths of his mother's stomach.

"To late…." Rasped the thing, letting go of Gallows' ankle and standing up slowly. What stood in front of him was one of the most atrocious sights that he had ever seen. Mila stood in front of him, her eyes closed and her mouth opened in a silent and frozen scream. Her midsection was replaced by the torso of the man and was attached to quaking legs. The thing from her torso waved its arms impatiently and then signaled for Gallows to come closer. Gallows, would not, or more accurately, COULD NOT move from the spot.

FOOL! It is unstable! Kill it before it starts to gain more power!

With those words, Gallows' instinct took over and he leapt forward, swinging the Zanzir in a gleaming downward arc as he did so. The creature looked rather unimpressed by Gallows' valiant actions and caught the sword right as it was about to cleave off Mila's head. Gallows pulled the sword from its grip and looked at it, his breath coming in short painful gasp.

"What?!" growled Gallows, stumbling back and sticking the tip of the sword in the ground to steady himself. The creature laughed and all four arms reached out for Gallows and the Zanzir.

"No!" growled Gallows, swinging the sword as hard as he could in a gleam of hellish red light. The creatures eyes widened as a red streak sliced through its arm and half way through its foot.

"Wha-- My son.. You….?" Spat the creature, its arm starting to seep blood in a perfect ring.

Gallows hopped back and readied the Zanzir again.

" I am NOT your son! Don't call me that again!" snarled Gallows, watching as the creature held its now bloody arm. The creature was about to respond to Gallows' heated response when its arm slid from its body with a wet sound and dropped heavily to the floor. The creature screamed and held the gaping hole where its arm used to be! Gallows expelled a short chopped laugh and dropped the sword to his side briefly.

"No worries! You still have THREE arms to work with!"

The creature twitched violently, causing Gallows to raise the sword once again.

Way to go, you REALLY pissed it off now. Well, at least you took care of one of those.. Oh..

The stream of blood that was flowing from the creatures arm slowly transformed into a serpentine form and lifted itself from the ground. Gallows blinked and held the sword over one shoulder.

(This is going to be fun.)

The serpentine form struck out at Gallows, Gallows dodged and swung the sword down, severing the blood snake in half. With a screech, the creature lunged it Gallows with its remaining three arms outstretched to grasp his throat. Gallows snickered and swung the sword in an arc to the right and the gracefully reversed the move and swung back to the left, severing the other three appendages, causing them to fall to the floor just like the fated one before them. Gallows put the sword back in the sling and pulled out the Moor Gault medium, letting rest in one of his hands. The medium glowed and the started to sprout flames from its stone surface. Gallows smiled and then closed his hand protectively over the medium, watching as the flames leaped from between his closed hand.

"Cremate!' Gallows screamed, focusing on the open wounds of the creature.

Cauterization? Amazing, how did YOU, of all people, think of that?

Miniature sparks exploded all over its body, but most of it was focused around the appendages. The creature screamed and fell down to the ground, writhing like a worm toward Gallows. Gallows raised and eyebrow and kicked the creature in the face with a certain degree of regret.

(I know that it was not my mother.. but still….)

The creature screamed and bit at his foot, Gallows lifted his foot and brought it down hard on top of its head, stomping through it, causing its brains to adhere to his foot. Gallows crinkled his nose and shook the brain nonchalantly from his foot. Roka smiled a little bit, Gallows seemed a bit desensitized.

Gallows smiled a little and once again called upon the guardian of fire to cauterize one final time.

"You are nothing but a mask… rest in peace…." Sighed Gallows silently.

A brief flash from the wall caused Gallows to look up with confusion.

I believe that there is something else written on the wall.

"Hmm?" said Gallows, walking over to the wall cautiously, stepping over the innate body of the creature as he did so. He squinted his eyes to read the engraved writing.

" Fasi mais, sa mas itan?" read Gallows slowly, focusing on every word.

"Fated son, we meet again." It is almost as if Simulacrum PLANNED this…

Gallows snorted and looked toward the adjacent hallway cautiously.

" I think that something wants us to that way…" said Gallows, pointing toward the said hallway.

… Let's go…. I want to get what I came for and then get the hell out of here.

"I agree with you, let's go down that hallway and face what ever comes our way." Laughed Gallows, all of the sudden feeling really giddy. Roka concurred and Gallows walked toward the said corridor, ignoring the ones to his left and right. It didn't take long for them to make it to the end of the corridor and to a set of old wooden stairs that let up into complete darkness. Gallows put his tongue to his cheek, took a deep breath, and proceed up the stairs to whatever awaited them.

A/N: I am so sorry that it took so long for me to update. I've been really busy and haven't been able to do a lot of writing. I think I should explain about Chapter 8. Chapter 8 is going to be in 8 sections corresponding to each floor of Sanity's Bane. I hope that you will forgive me for my insolence, I will try to write more. *Bows* Thank you for your patience. *Hugs everyone*