7 Deadly Sins

5. Greed

Sitting in his throne of polished wood with a mallet in hand sits the prestigious Judge Gallerion Marlon. He's a fine man, living alone with his daughter, but lost his wife in a freak accident about a year ago. He's an experienced judge in the Union State of Evillious, and he is respected by many.

"Now," his clear voice rings throughout the court, "let the trial begin." His mallet bangs on the wood once, twice and a third time.

He looks over at the man accused of murder. The accused winks. Gallerion smiles oh so slightly, and feels the cash in his pocket.

The accused is a rich man, driven by lust to kill the husband of a woman he sought after. It took little persuasion, just some green, to convince Gallerion that he was 'innocent'.

Gallerion sits through the boring trial, hitting his mallet once in a while, calling the court to order at least twice. But in the end, the result would be the same.

Finally, it was time to declare Gallerion's verdict.

"Innocent!"

Gasps of horror were heard throughout the room and the cold laughter of the rich man is strong amidst the murmurs. The evidence was overwhelming! How could this be?

With Judge Marlon, he cares not for justice and righteousness, only money. After all, only money makes the mare go. He didn't care about how old you were or where you were from, if you couldn't pay up, you wouldn't live to see another day of your free life.

After all, no one would catch him. This was HIS court.

This was the corrupt Judge Marlon and his sullied court.

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 Why would Gallerion Marlon do this? Why did he become the way he is now?

Let's go back to a year ago, to the time of a freak accident that took the life of Gallerion's wife.

It was raining, his carrage's wheel hit a rock and overturned. She fell out of the carrage. Down and down she rolled. Down the cliff and speared herself onto the misty rocks. Gallerion screamed. Then he noticed his daughter, her legs crushed under the weight of the carrage and the horses.

Splatter of blood surrounded her and large splinters of broken wood turning her eyes into a bloody mess. She was screaming at the top of her lungs, that meant she was still alive!

Gallerion clambered over to her, flipping the carrage to the other side and carried her to the nearest doctor. He had already lost his wife, but he couldn't possibly loose his daughter as well!

He waited in the waiting room for hours, after the doctor performed the operation, he broke the news to Gallerion.

But it wasn't much news to him that she had lost the use of her legs and was now blind. He knew it the moment he saw the bloody mess at the very scene. How could her legs and eyes survive that?

And then, all of the sudden, it weighed down on him like a ton of bricks. He had to finally face the fact; his wife was gone forever.

He sat on the floor, sobbing and wallowing in his sadness.

When it appeared before him.

It was not more than a shadow, wispy and thin but as black as the darkest night. Its curled, bony fingers stretched as it looked at Gallerion with it's beady, blood red eyes.

"Tell me, why do you weep?" The voice that emanated from its lipless face was soft and gentle, almost inaudible.

Gallerion looked up. He was fascinated, intrigued, by this creature before him.