Gallows cursed silently as he sized up his two opponents, the white haired kid and the Drifter guard. There was no way he could compare the two Ark Scepters now. He wished he had ignored the damn article he had read back in Little Twister.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Five days before the fateful encounter…
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gallows sat down thankfully, and gestures to the waitress of the Honey of Roses. As she headed off towards the bar for his order, Gallows picked up a newspaper and started to read. As his eyes met a certain article, however, he started in shock.
"I'll be darned if this is true!" he murmured. He quickly reread the article.
The sacred Artifact of Basker, known as the Ark Scepter, will be delivered via transcontinental train to Basker Colony. This artifact is said to be capable of communicating with the powers that sustain the world. The transport of such a priceless artifact is sure to generate curiosity, especially among train robbers, as…
"The sacred artifact of Basker? The Ark Scepter…? And it's on a train?" Gallows reached down, and picked up the Ark Scepter from where he had leaned it against the table. "Then… What the heck is this Ark Scepter that I'm holding now? Oh, man…"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three months earlier…
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gallows carefully finished packing his spare things into the storage box. As he turned to leave, however, he heard Shane appear on the top floor behind him.
"Are you really going, Brother?" Shane asked.
"Heck, yeah…" Gallows replied with feeling. "Those of priestly lineage must enter the priesthood, right? Well, not me." He gestured angrily with his right hand. "Why the heck do I have to follow some stale, old tradition? I'm gonna live freely. No one's gonna tell me what to do."
"Well, you don't have to take the sacred artifact of Basker with you…" Shane pointed out.
"The sacred artifact, Ark Scepter…" Gallows agreed. "It enables us to control and communicate with the powers that sustain the world… That's pretty darn amazing. If I could make us of that thing, then I'll have nothing to fear in the wasteland. But even if things don't work out, I can always sell it and live off the money for a while." He then turned and punched the wall in sudden anger. "What's even greater would be to see Granny's jaw drop!" He heard Shane walk over to the top of the stairs.
"I do not understand you at all…" Shane said. "But I do accept your decision. However, I will neither help you nor intervene in your affair."
"That's my kid brother!" Gallows said happily. "Just the answer I wanted to hear! You take after me--you're so quick--witted! By the way, where's that slow-witted granny of ours?"
"I have not seen her since this morning," Shane replied. "Perhaps she's at the alter, or…" Gallows turned around in shock.
"Don't tell me, the Southern Sanctuary?" Gallows complained. "Oh, man… Talk about bad timing… Just when I was about to head off there… That good-for-nothin' granny!"
"That's not a nice thing to say…" Shane pointed out. "… Anyway… Your decision still stands?"
"Of course!" Gallows said, surprised that Shane could think otherwise.
"Shall I augur your future with my dream sight," Shane asked, closing eyes, "Brother? You would like to know, wouldn't you?"
"Nah…" Gallows disagreed. "No, thanks. It's almost guaranteed that my future will be bright. It'd spoil all the fun if I knew how good it was going to be." He turned and walked over to the door.
"Brother!" Shane said, holding out his hand.
"It's not like I'll never see you again," Gallows said. "Relax… I'll be back with stories about what I see and experience on Filgaia. So, wipe that frown off your face."
"Okay…" Shane replied. "Please take care…" Gallows waved, and left.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gallows entered the alter in the town, and glanced around. To his surprise, he saw Halle in front of the alter instead of in the Southern Sanctuary.
"So…" Granny said, "I see you're back visiting the alter. Wonders will never cease…"
"Granny! So this is where you were… I thought you had gone off to the Southern Sanctuary."
"Well…"Granny asked. "Why? Is that where you're heading?" Gallows stepped back quickly.
"N-No!" he stammered. "Not at all! Why would I want to go there? I was looking for you, Granny."
"I see…" Granny replied doubtfully. "So, what is it?"
"Uhhh…well…uhhh…" Gallows glanced around desperately. "O-One look at your bright smile made me forget what I was going to ask. I-I'll come back once I remember…"
"Hmm…" Granny mused, "I don't know what you're plotting in the Southern Sanctuary, but remember it's also called the Fallen Sanctuary. Your half-baked skills are no match for its traps and contrivances. And don't you forget it."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gallows glanced around as he entered the Sanctuary.
"All right… Get ready, Ark Scepter. 'Cause here I come." He slapped his face with his hands, trying to concentrate. "I've got the power of Arcana in my medium. As long as I've got that, no monster here can stand up to me!" He quickly jumped down into the room, and headed off for the rest of the ruins.
Gallows spread his arms out wide as he entered the Scepter storage room at the center of the Sanctuary.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, sweetie," he said. "Come to papa." As he walked up the few steps to the Scepter and reached out for it, he heard a sound behind him. As he turned, he realized that four balloon-like monsters had appeared behind him. "Sheesh… This ain't the way to treat a future priest."
As he cast the water Arcana, two of the monsters vanished into thin air. Just as Gallows turned to the others, they split in two, replacing the lost monsters.
"Split in two?" Gallows gasped. "I knew something was up with these crazy balloons. Well then, I have a trick up my sleeve, too!" He quickly cast his extension: water Arcana. All four monsters vanished.
"Well," Gallows shrugged, and turned to the Ark Scepter's platform, "this can only mean that the Ark Scepter is mine for good. All's well that ends well." He picked up the Ark Scepter and walked out towards the exit.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gallows jogged towards the Sanctuary's exit, hoping to escape before Granny discovered what he was doing. Suddenly, as he ran down the corridor, a white wall of energy formed in front of him. Before he could stop moving, he ran into it, and fell back onto his rear.
"Ungh!" he groaned. Glancing back, he realized that a second wall was preventing him from going back. He walked over to the wall and started to pound on it rhythmically. "Gimme a break! Another trap to repel thieves, huh? Hmm... Hey! Open up! Who do you think I am! I'm an up-and-coming candidate for priesthood! Treat me like this and you'll be sorry! Hey, you listening?"
"Shh!" a creepy voice called from ahead of him. "Your cries for help will be heard outside."
"Who's there?" Gallows called out wearily. To his relief, Shane walked up to the other side of wall, and looked through it at Gallows.
"Aw…come on, Brother," Shane asked. "Who were you crying to?"
"Shane!" Gallows exclaimed in relief. "I knew I could count on you! You must have seen vile premonitions of your big brother in mortal danger, right?"
"Of course not," Shane said, rolling his eyes, "I knew you well enough to know you'd mess up somewhere." Gallows glared at him.
"Hmm… I don't like your attitude," Gallows glanced up at the walls trapping him, "but I'll let it slide. Look at me! I'm trapped by these walls. Got any ideas?"
"Golly, Brother…" Shane said, glancing up at the walls as well, "I'm really stumped. We'd better start with what we can do now, and think of a way to get you out. Oh, that's right… I've heard about a trial where the aspirant must retrieve the Ark Scepter in order to be ordained. Basically, they have to think and act like priests if they want to survive the perils within." Gallows hesitated, and glanced down at the Ark Scepter he had in his hand. Then, to his surprise, he heard the Ark Scepter speaking into his mind, and through his mouth.
"Gather your strength and leap the barriers before you. Walls may tower above you. If you wish to penetrate them, you must first push the limits of your mind." Gallows paused, and was relived to find that his voice had gone back to normal. "I guess this is here so the candidate can show that he's got what it takes to be ordained."
"Easier said then done." Shane said, doubtfully. "Hey, you're not hoping I'll bail you out, are you? I just can't. No matter how bad it gets, nobody can do more then they're capable of." Gallows stepped back and hesitated.
"No, no!" he said, "I'd never ask you for that. I'm thinking of something different… An efficient, yet comprehensive escape plan."
"Then, tell me," Shane asked. (Dangit! He called my bluff.) Gallows thought worriedly.
"You see, uh…" Gallows thought desperately. "We're still fortunate because we've still got each other."
"Fortunate?" Shane asked, and shook his head. "In my case, that's not a good thing at all."
"Just hear me out. We're just lowly apprentices right now. We're only half way to getting ordained. And also…" Gallows held up two of his fingers. "There's two of us, right? The two of us are only half way to being real priests, right?" He brought his fingers together. "And even though the two of us are only half way, with both of us together, we're all the way there, right?" He spread his arms expansively. "Wait! Maybe we're even further! Through the incredible power of brotherhood, we can do anything!"
"There you go, trying to talk your way out of things again." Shane shook his head again, as Gallows dropped his arms in shame. "But still, putting our power together might be worth a shot. I don't expect much, though." He placed his hands on his side of the wall. Slowly, Gallows placed his hands on his hands on his side of the wall.
"We ain't got a choice, Shane," Gallows pointed out. "Come on, help me out here. We have to overcome this together." The walls started to glow purple as Gallows focused his energy.
"Amazing!" Shane said, surprised, "I never thought you'd think of something so deep."
"Listen Shane," Gallows said, "I'm going to be a Drifter. I want to be free. I want to be a Drifter, wings flapping against the winds of lineage and destiny. I'm sorry. I have to leave you to take care of Granny. So if you'll forgive me for that, I won't ask for your help anymore. Only then, will I…"
"Brother, hush a moment," Shane interrupted. "Just a little longer… Just a little more and I can help you. I must grow stronger so that you can wander freely without worrying whether I'll be okay. Because that's the only way I can help you…"
"Shane… Thank you!" Gallows gasped. The walls turned blinding white, and vanished. Gallows gasped as he and Shane were thrown to the ground.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gallows blinked and shook his head as he returned to the present.
"It took a lot of brotherly love to get this thing…" Gallows muttered, glancing down at the Ark Scepter, "and now another Ark Scepter is on it's way on a train? It just doesn't make any sense… So, is this the real one? Or the one on the train…? Well, I guess I'm gonna have to get both to know for sure." He quickly got up and walked out, ignoring the annoyed exclamation of the waitress behind him as she brought his order out.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Legal Notes: Wild ARMs 3 and the associated charactersand storybelongs to Media Vision/Contrail. I have no intention of gaining any money from this document.