Chapter 8
Floor 3: Superbia
"Did I make a mistake when I gave birth to pride? Pride, the destroyer of humility. It is true, that when I created sentient beings, I desired to give them free will… But, I could not foresee pride being so cataclysmic to human nature. " Furca Erīcē
Gallows was relieved when he finally reached the stairwell leading up to the next floor. The cold chill that had pervaded the hall was all but gone now, and for some reason, Gallows took comfort in that.
" I am NEVER going to womanize again.. EVER! " muttered Gallows as he place his foot on the first step. The only response he got from Roka was a cynical grunt and a feeling of disbelief.
"I'm serious! I never knew that there were such SICK people in the world…"
And now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
"Witty, Roka, very witty…" murmured Gallows, looking up into the gaping darkness above him.
I hear something… Shut up for a moment and listen…
Gallows fell silent, quietly scolding Roka as he did so, true, he was being annoying, but that, in his opinion, was beside the point. From up above him came heavy foot steps and a masculine voice whispering incoherently. Gallows raised an eyebrow, placed his hand on the left hand wall, and started up the stairs, feeling colder as he got closer to the top. When he was half way to the top the whispering erupted into an angry bellow.
"KRYA! Krya, come out this INSANT!" bellowed the insanity coated voice. Gallows blood froze as he heard the heavy footsteps come closer to the stairwell.
"Save me…" whispered a small voice from behind him, with a gasp, Gallows turned around and saw nothing. Breathing hard, he slowly turned back toward the hall way that was slightly above him. The footsteps had ceased and somewhere a door slammed.
"What in the.." started Gallows, looking back down the stairs and then back up to the hall way.
A tug at the back side of his duster made him whirl around once again, this time he found himself looking down at a brown-tress young lady, her soft blue eyes were looking up at him benevolently.
"Sir…" she whispered quietly, bowing a little as she did so. With a slight smile. Gallows knelt down in front of her and pushed a lock of hair from her moon shaped face.
"Yes?" asked Gallows, resting one hand on his knee and the other on her delicate shoulder.
"My daddy is looking for me… but I don't want him to find me.." she sniffled, tears forming in the corners of her sparkly blue eyes. Gallows' smile faded, if he helped this little girl, what kind of repercussions would arise? Why was her father looking for her so intently in the first place?
( But still, even if these questions remain unanswered, I STILL can't leave her here alone…)
Damn it you FOOL, she is one of THEM! Don't you see that?!
Gallows did not respond to Roka's fervid question, instead, he nodded and offered his hand to the little girl. The little lady looked down at the Baskar's hand tentatively for a moment, and then, with a sweet smile, accepted it and nodded cheerfully. Gallows stood up, his hand still enveloping hers as he did so. The smile faded from her lips and Gallows tipped his head to one side.
"What's wrong?" he asked, giving her a fake pout and sorrowful eyes.
"Can I have a piggy back ride?" asked the little one. Gallows' pout broke out into a smile of merriment
"Sure!" he laughed, bending down so that the little girl could crawl onto his back.
"My name is Krya Solanza…" she said, crawling carefully onto his back and wrapping her arms firmly around his neck. Gallows wrapped his arms securely around the little girl's legs and stood up slowly.
"That's a pretty name. My name is…" started Gallows, about to give Krya HIS name when she stopped him with a chuckle and small tug at his neck.
"Gallows Carradine, the demi-human.." she said , loosening her grip after a small hug. Gallows started to continue up the stairs, shocked into silence by the little girl's knowledge of him. As they reached the top of the stairwell the little girl started to tremble and Gallows stopped right as he reached the top.
"What is it?" asked Gallows, shifting uncomfortably and looking back at her the best that he could.
"Daddy is waiting for me in the first room to the right… but.. he wants to… " Krya sobbed and buried her face into his back, causing Gallows to feel a wave of pity and a slight feeling of fear.
"Wants to what?" asked Gallows, tightening his grip on the frightened girls legs a little to show that he was there for her. The little girl whispered something that was inaudible into his back, her warm breath tickling his spine. He shuddered and was about to tell her to repeat herself when the door to his right started to open slowly and the hallway filled with a dim blue light. Thinking quickly, he slunk into the shadows of the stairs and observed as a man in a white vest and black pants stepped into the sliver of light emanating from the room. He was rather distinguished and ruggedly handsome, his aging face was twisted into a gargoyle like expression and his dark blue eyes were in angry slits as he scanned the hallway.
"Krya, where are you? Don't make me come after you!" he shouted, walking the opposite direction of the stairs, much to Gallows' and Krya's relief. Krya tightened her arms around Gallows' neck and lifted her head from his back, leaving a small smear of tears on his back as she did so. Gallows patted her leg comfortingly.
"I won't let him hurt you., Kassi… I mean.. Krya.." whispered Gallows, his lips moving against the oppressive silence of the hallway.
Krya gave him a small hug and kissed the top of his head.
"You're a big ole' bear!" she laughed quietly, tugging at lock of his hair. Gallows looked back, smiled at the little girl, and then directed his attention back to the hallway, his warm smile dropping into a frown of concentration.
"He's coming back this way…" whispered Gallows, descending a couple of steps as quietly as he could. Krya cried a little and buried her face back into his spine, her tears tearing a warm path down his back.
Her father stomped back toward his room… but.. he was carrying something. Gallows squinted a little to see if he could get a better look at the object in his hand.
"Daddy's mad… It's because I gave that stranger money.." she whimpered, lifting her head a little to look cautiously over Gallows' shoulder. Gallows nodded at the Krya's statement and turned around so Krya's and his back was against the left hand wall.
(What kind of bastard would want to hurt his daughter because of an act of kindness on her behalf?)
A bastard that is filled with pride… Gallows, have you any idea who this man is?
Gallows shook his head no, still trying to make out the dark object in the mans hand.
"Krya! I know you're here! I can hear you breathing!" shouted Krya's enraged father, causing Gallows' shoulder's to stiffen with anxiety.
(Who IS he, Roka? Why is he after Krya!?)
His name is Sairon, in life, he was quite rich and powerful. But… then…..
A scream rang out in Gallows' skull and then a visage of blood coating the walls of an elegant room burned itself into his eyes, causing Gallows' eyes to widen with terror.
He killed his daughter in a fit of rage, legend has it that she had given five Gella to a Drifter that was passing through…. He was a railroad tycoon and he took great pride in his position in society….
"KRYA! I found you!" screeched Sairon, snapping Gallows out of his conversation with Roka. Krya screeched and tightened her grip on Gallows' neck, cutting of the blood flow to his brain, causing him to feel dizzy. Gallows watched as Sairon charged toward them, the object in his hand held above his head .
(That's….that's a god damn RAILROAD SPIKE!)
"Krya… I'm going to put you down, stay as far away from him and me as you can….Okay?" said Gallows, kneeling so the little girl could get down. Krya nodded and did as she was told, looking at her father as she did so. Gallows turned his attention back to Sairon and pulled out the Zanzir, holding it behind his head so that he could easily switch from offensive to defensive if need be. Sairon snarled, his eyes glowing red and then fading back to blue. Gallows tightened his grip on the pommel and gave Sairon a grim smile.
"How DARE you interfere! Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?" snarled Sairon, slipping the railroad spike into a slot on his belt and reaching behind him, his eyes still locked on Gallows'. Gallows swallowed hard, the harsh smile being replaced by a brutal sneer.
" I'm saving a little girl from her heartless bastard of a father… Stay away from her.. or…" Gallows brought the sword in front of him in a graceful motion, causing Sairon to look at him with surprise and a touch of apprehension.
"Die…" finished Gallows, narrowing his eyes at the man with the railroad spike. Sairon's hand, which was still hidden behind his back, came back above his head wielding a mallet.
Gallows blinked and put one foot behind him to brace himself.
"You have some guts, I will give you that…" He swung the mallet in front of him and smiled sadistically.
"However…" he continued, glaring at the little girl behind Gallows, "Bravery will not prevent your brains from dripping out of your ears when I bash your skull IN!" he said, lifting the mallet above his head.
"Gallows…I'm scared…" whimpered Krya from behind him. Gallows did not look back, but when he spoke his words were warm and full of comfort.
"I know, Krya, but I promise I will not…" the rest of his sentence was cut off by the whoosh of the mallet ascending toward the young Baskar. With a grunt, Gallows blocked with the Zanzir, knocked the mallet back toward Sairon and followed it up with a horizontal slash toward Sairon's stomach, which he gracefully avoided.
"Hm…"said Sairon, looking at Gallows with amusement. "It appears that I have underestimated you… That is fine… I guess I no longer need to hold back…." From the depths of his ephemeral lungs came a howl that chilled Gallows to the bone.
"Hold… back…?" Gallows stuttered, as Sairon started to glow with a blood red light.
"DADDY NO! Please don't do that!" cried Krya, running past Gallows before he could stop her.
"Krya… NOO!" screamed Gallows, as he watched Sairon's mallet crush Krya's skull in.
Krya swaggered and then turned toward Gallows with a smile on her face.
" Gallows… you… can't stop fate…. " she whispered, the smile fading from her face. Gallows lowered the sword to his side, his mouth hanging open from shock and anger.
"But… but then… I… failed… again?" whispered Gallows, his voice reflecting the immense grief that he felt. Krya shook her head "no", smiled one more time, and then fell down to the ground, the whites of her eyes showing as she fell. Gallows looked down at the girl and then up at her father, who was looking at the girl with disdain.
"W-Why? What is WITH you?!" growled Gallows, holding the Zanzir back in front of him. Sairon laughed at Gallows and kicked Krya's prone body angrily, causing Gallows' eyes to narrow into glowing blue slits.
"She was a MISTAKE, don't you SEE that ?!" snarled Sairon, stepping over Krya's body, raising the mallet over his head once again.
"Mistake? How can a child be a MISTAKE?!' spat Gallows, readying the sword for what seemed to be the thousandth time. Sairon laughed and swung the mallet in a whistling arc in front of him, he was now just a couple of feet in front of Gallows. The young Baskarian backed up for some reason, he had a feeling that things were about to get ugly, and unfortunately, he was right.
"It is time…" screamed Sairon, putting the mallet away and taking out the railroad spike. Gallows stared in horror as the spike formed into a crude battle club with rusted spikes protruding sporadically down the sides. The hallway faded to black, causing Gallows to fumble toward the nearest wall.
"Ungh!" muttered Gallows, as his knuckles scraped against the wall. An insane wave of laughter caused Gallows to look around nervously, he hated being in the dark, especially when an insane specter was trying to bash his brains in with a battle club.
"I see you…" came Sairon's voice from behind him. Gallows whirled around and swung the Zanzir blindly toward the voice. Sairon grunted and Gallows felt his spirit move back a little.
"You're… you're pretty good…" rasped Sairon's voice a couple of feet in front of Gallows. The annoyed Baskar huffed and held the sword out in front of him, using it as a measuring device of sorts.
(I'm hitting nothing at all, He must be at least eight feet in front of me…)
No, he's moving toward your left…. He saw you use the sword as a measuring apparatus and decided to try and best you at your own game… It seems to be working quite well…
Gallows sighed and gracefully dropped the sword to the left, using it as a barrier now. Sairon grunted a little and Gallows felt movement behind him, with a hint of fear in his blind eyes, Gallows whirled around and stumbled back as quickly as he could, only to be greeted with a glancing blow from the club.
"Ugh…" cursed Gallows as he felt a stream of warm wetness run down the left side of his face.
The sound of descending metal caused Gallows to jump back and unconsciously raise the sword above his head, deflecting the blow that would have dashed his brains across the darkened floor.
Useless… It is my turn…
Gallows consciousness sunk back into its shell and Roka came forth, his eyes glowing gold with irritation.
"Well.." said Roka, cocking his head to the right saucily. "It seems like you have bit off more than you can chew…" snickered the demon, throwing the sword up in the air and catching the sword by the pommel perfectly.
"Hmm, somehow I doubt that." Snickered Sairon, raising the battle club above his head, preparing to strike once again. Roka shook his head, and with inhuman speed, aimed a barrage of lightening fast thrust toward Sairon's upper torso, grunting, Sairon barely evaded the lightening fast moves.
"Hmm… You are different now… Gallows.." huffed Sairon, dropping the club, much to Roka and Gallows' surprise.
(Roka… he's up to..)
Gallows' thoughts were interupted by Roka's pained screams as the teeth of a small metal creature clamped tightly around his leg.
"FUCK!" growled Roka, shaking his leg to dislodge the creatures teeth from his bleeding flesh.
"Meet my little friend, Malus, I'm sure you two well get along just…" The rest of his sentence was cut off by a small, and now headless, metal creature flying past his head. He blinked ,and then, with a guttural snarl, pulled the mallet out once again.
"Oh dear," laughed Roka as he healed his leg with a simple arcane spell, "It appears that the poor fool has lost its head!"
"Indeed…" replied Sairon darkly, tossing the mallet from one hand to the other.
" I just love to fight in the dark.. it's so invigorating!" laughed Roka, lunging toward Sairon, holding the Zanzir so that the bottom of the pommel was nestled safely in the nook between his shoulder and his clavicle. Sairon snarled and swung the mallet down in a whistling downward arc, which Roka handily dodged and countered with a perfectly executed strong thrust to Sairon's head.
A look of confusion crossed Sairon's face as Roka pulled the sword from between his eyes with a satisfied grunt. Sairon blinked a couple of times, a stream of blood flowing down his face in a constant rush. He dropped the mallet and fell face first at Roka's feet, almost as if he were worshipping him. Roka grunted, picked up the mallet, and slammed it down hard against Sairon's skull. Gallows cringed as he heard the sound of what seemed to be a huge egg cracking followed by a most unpleasant squishing sound.
(That would be his brain ,I believe…) thought Gallows with a hint of dark sarcasm.
"Game over…" whispered Roka, throwing the mallet down on top of the fading body.
Let's move, we have wasted too much time here… thought Roka, bestowing Gallows' body back to him.
Gallows, now used to the sudden change in gravity, accepted Roka's "gift" and started to walk down the hall, his feet slamming hard against the floorboards.
Must you walk so loud? We are…
(Roka, tell me more about Sairon..)
There is not much to say, he was a man with to much pride and to little humanity…
"…. There's an exit up ahead, I believe… I wonder what lies beyond?" said Gallows, slowing down his pace a little.
I do not know, but I have a feeling it will be something that you can not handle…
Gallows snickered at Roka's vote of confidence and walked toward the oddly lit stairwell that led to the fourth floor.
A/N: Ah, yes, the fourth floor, well, this is sure getting interesting. Let me explain a little bit about why Krya was killed anyway. 1) Think of the events that took place up to the battle as set in stone, sure, Gallows would have done everything in his power to save Krya, but when it came down to it, he could not change the chain of fate in that scenario. 2) I needed something to fuel Gallows' rage, as we know, Gallows is very slow to anger, and seeing such an innocent person suffer was sure to make him angry. Well ,let it be known that there will be no more killing of the young, I myself, do not like writing things like that. Well, stay tuned for the next chapter! Oh and as for the railroad spike and mallet. When I thought of "Pride" the first thing that popped into my mind was the railroad system. In the Old West, railroad tycoons normally DID have a lot of pride, some were not corrupt and some were, Sairon was an example of the latter. Well, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Please stay tuned for the next one! ^ ^