A/N: dude, I'm sorry for the late chapter, guys. it figures, that once school calms down a bit, christmas comes along XD. yeah, everything's been hectic lately with the holidays, and I'll probably be a little late with the next chapter as well. but I promise, it's just because I'm busy, not because I've lost interest. so yeah, once again, thank you thank you thaaaaaank yoooouuuuu all for the reviews. I love you all so much! -group huggles!-
Disclaimer: see chapter one.
Though We Walk Through the Valley
Chapter 10 - "Unpleasant Meetings"
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Victor didn't know how long he had been walking. He allowed his feet to lead him around aimlessly through the Land of the Dead.
He suddenly felt very alone. He felt out of place, being the only living person amongst all those passing by him, though he knew he shouldn't be. Everyone who lived down there was exceptionally nice and welcoming. No one shunned him because of his being in a completely different state from them. But he still had a feeling as though he had been left all alone inside of a small dark room, but with the muffled noise of the outside world beyond the walls.
And he knew he only felt this way because Emily wasn't with him.
It had been as if a candle had gone out. It had been lit, though unnoticed, upon meeting her for the first time, but slowly began to burn out when she left him for Victoria. Then it seemed for a moment earlier that day, when holding her whilst on top of the balcony ledge, there was hope of saving the small flame. But then it had completely been snuffed out when she left him in the pub.
Victor sighed. Maybe she didn't feel the same as she did then? Maybe she found someone else down here? He knew then, it would be someone better for her. If that was so, then he should just go back up to the Land of the Living, and live out the life he promised he would the day he was wed to Victoria…
"Well, well, well…" drawled a menacingly familiar voice. Victor's head snapped up, and his gaze met an acid-yellow one.
Barkis Bittern stood before Victor, blue-skinned, arms crossed, and a smug look on his face. He had darker blue-ish purple patches on his skin, Victor guessed were results of being trapped in that back room of the church with quite a few angry friends of Emily. He also had taters of clothing missing from his once perfect suit, along with small holes here and there.
After the momentary shock of running into the man had worn off, Victor's eyes formed a glare. He knew how horrible the man was, though he had only been in his presence briefly before. He knew, however, that he married off woman, tricking them into love, only for their money, and then killing them. Moreover, he had done it to Emily, and almost to Victoria; two people Victor held very dear to him.
"Barkis," Victor stated scathingly, not bothering to add the 'Lord' title before the man's name. He didn't deserve it.
"Master… Van Dort? Am I right?" Barkis questioned a little bit too casually for Victor's liking. His only reply was glaring more intently at him. Barkis looked at his fingernails, and Victor supposed this was out of habit, for he doubted his fingernails were anything close to shiny anymore.
Chuckling pompously, he began to speak. "What a surprise it is to see you down here. May I ask," he turned his gaze away from his hand, and looked back up to Victor. "Why?"
"That doesn't concern you," Victor said almost immediately.
Barkis merely smiled. "It's little miss Emily, isn't it?" he inquired, an evil sort of drawl in his tone. Victor felt his stomach lurch, and hoped it hadn't shown on his face. But if it had or hadn't, Barkis kept talking and didn't notice it.
"Ah, it's a shame, boy." The dead man took a few steps to the right. "She's been an absolute wreck since that night."
For a moment, Victor's anger burst forward, forcing him to shout, "You call it shame, but you have no concern for her well-being at all! You're the one who put her here!"
Victor didn't think he'd ever shouted like that before. Complete hatred for the man before him bubbled up inside of him, threatening to break lose the next time Barkis even dared speak Emily's name.
Play-acting shock, Barkis had a poor attempt at a look o surprise upon his face. Victor nearly laughed at how foolish he looked.
"How do you mean?" he asked, his 'innocence' beginning to melt away. "I could never, would never, do something so… ghastly." The last word of his sentence dripped with acid. "And especially to Emily," he added.
"After all…" his lips curled up into an evil grin. "… I loved her."
Victor couldn't recall a time when he had felt anywhere near this much anger toward someone. It was all he could do, and more, not to pounce on the dead man right then and there.
Barkis looked as if he were enjoying the rouse he was getting out of Victor. He felt weak for allowing himself to be bothered by Barkis' meaningless words, but he couldn't help the powerful feeling of protectiveness for Emily.
"You loathsome, four excuse for a man," Victor hissed, his eyes flaring with the utmost hatred. "You speak of feelings for her, yet you feel nothing. You may as well have been born an insignificant insect, Barkis."
Victor felt as if he were an entirely different person. He didn't even know he was capable of speaking such words to anyone.
Barkis was unfazed, but this didn't surprise Victor. A small, yet malicious smile began to play on Barkis' features. "My, my," he voiced. He let out a small chuckle before continuing, "Is it… that you love her, Master Van Dort?"
Victor's stomach repeated it's turnover from before, and yet again, he hoped beyond all hope that it hadn't shown. Though he had a sinking feeling that it had, for Barkis' smile widened.
"Ha, it seems that would be the case, then," Barkis stated with finality. "You came down here in hopes to get Emily back. How you managed to escape Miss Victoria though, I cannot guess."
Victor felt himself begin to tremble with anger. He began to become numb to all other emotions; the only thing running through his mind was that of his hatred toward Barkis Bittern. Victor could think of nothing else.
Barkis kept going. "Tut, tut, how selfish you are, Master Van Dort." He paused, as if allowing Victor to speak up in his own defense, but he said nothing. Victor knew he had been selfish for even thinking of going back to Emily. Barkis wasn't telling him anything he didn't know, but still… Victor felt the tiniest bit of self-loathing creep up into him along with his anger.
"I heard that batty old codger, Gutneckt, telling you about Emily's condition just a few hours ago," Barkis informed him. This news surprised Victor slightly, but the second the surprise had registered in Victor's mind, it was pushed away.
"… and I was half-shocked to learn that my tricking her into loving me, eloping off with me, and even betraying her own father and family in the process, didn't effect her nearly as much as you not returning her feelings, and her leaving you of her own free will for another woman, for your happiness.
"And yet still, Master Van Dort, you believe you can waltz right down here and hope to get her back, just like that, and whenever you feel like?"
Barkis had a rather satisfied look upon his face, while Victor was trying his hardest to keep the dumbstruck one off of his. Barkis had almost sounded as if he cared for Emily, and was telling Victor off for so selfishly trying to win her back. But Victor knew Barkis had only made that short speech to upset him, and point out all of Victor's faults.
Silence passed between the two for quite some time. Wind blew, distant voices from another street were the only things heard.
When all of a sudden, a sharp, female voice sliced through the silence like a knife, causing Victor to jump.
"Barkis," said the voice from behind said man.
Barkis whipped his head around to see a shadowed figure walking toward to the two of them. Though her face could not be seen, Victor recognized the unmistakable long train, and ghostly flowing veil. It wasn't until she passed under the street light, did Emily's face become visible, aglow with eerie light. Her eyes were fixated on Barkis, fire rising in them.
"Emily," Barkis replied unpleasantly.
Emily wasted no time. "Elder Gutneckt had ordered that you are not to be within one hundred feet of me."
Barkis glared at her, though didn't dare to say what Victor knew he was longing to.
"Go, Barkis," she ordered quite firmly. Barkis continued to stare at her with contempt, but reluctantly turned away from her, and began to walk toward Victor. It seemed to take an eternity, watching him walk rather slowly across the cobblestone. When he finally came to Victor however, he whispered to him,
"We'll be seeing each other again, Master Van Dort."
Victor just continued glaring at him as he had been since he first ran into him. He turned and watched Barkis walk down the street, further and further away from him. And only when Barkis disappeared behind a brick building, did Victor's immense anger finally begin to dwindle.