[centre][h2]The Jester - Betwixt the Eternal Light[/h2] [h3]Given Name[/h3] The Jester. [sub][sub]"But it's just Jester to you, wise guy."[/sub][/sub] [h3]Appearance[/h3] [hider=Image][img] http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/050/8/0/the_jester_by_cribs-d7786gr.jpg[/img][/hider] By all means, the Jester is a scrawny looking chap. Standing five feet ten, with more lean muscle than meat, clad in dirty clown clothes and a mask that hides his scarred features and a face that never smiles, he is the very definition of an out-of-work clown. [sub][sub]"I ain't outta work, it's just a phase."[/sub][/sub] The bells on his worn hat, though tarnished and old, still ring clearly, each and every movement making the bells dance and jingle softly, its notes haunting in the black, for friends and foes alike. [sub][sub]"Ey, these things are a warning, y'know. T'let people know I'm comin'."[/sub][/sub] [h3]Equipment[/h3] - A [b]dagger[/b], old and rusty but sharp as a point, it's actually more like a broken [b]long sword[/b] than anything else, judging by how the blade isn't whole and the hilt is longer than a regular dagger. [sub][sub]"It hurts people just fine. No fixing needed. 'Cept to keep the blade sharp."[/sub][/sub] - A [b]sickle[/b]. Originally a farmer's implement, the Jester, some time in his past, made one his own. It's sharp and stained with dried blood. [sub][sub]"But most importantly it's sharp."[/sub][/sub] - A [b]waterskin[/b]. Being a former entertainer meant keeping his throat healthy. -A [b]leather sling bag[/b]. It holds [b]a few days worth of rations[/b], a [b]whetstone[/b], a [b]flint and tinderbox[/b] and a [b]broken compass[/b]. [sub][sub]"The compass helps me navigate. Don't think of it as broken, it's just leadin' me where I'm supposed to be."[/sub][/sub] - A [b]lute[/b]. Made of a light oak wood, stained a deep brown, the lute is still perfectly tuned. [sub][sub]"Maybe it's because [b]I've[/b] been tuning it, stupid."[/sub][/sub] [h3]Memories[/h3] [u]The Beat[/u] [sub][i]"Pleasure's all mine. Now, what am I supposed to do? Okay, so I'll be playing for the king, yeah? Alright. Is the coin good? Good enough? No it has to be perfect, man, I swear. This is my life we're talking about here, and I'm not gonna take "good enough" for an answer. Alright fine. Look, I'll sort things out on my end, you do so with yours. In two weeks, I'll be outta here and no longer your problem. Just... Get it done, alright? I'll owe you a big one. Once I'm settled, you find me and I'll see how I can repay you."[/i][/sub] [u]Razor's Out[/u] [sub][i]"Look, boss, I swear it's true. Yeah, everythin' went according to plan; guy's dead, body's fed to the pigs. No trace, I swear. Yeah, I know. No I don't know who this other douchebag is. No he wasn't part of the plan. Yes, I-...I know, I know, but he showed up without any warning! Yes I took care of him too. Yes, yes I know. *sigh* I got my reasons. Yeah, a dame, love of my life, but listen boss, I want out. What d'you mean, there's no outs?! You distinctly told me there was always an out! Well okay then, what sorta job is it? ...fine, alright I'll do it, but listen, this is the last job, alright? I do this, I split, forever, I won't see you ever again and I won't be a massive pain in the ass."[/i][/sub] [u]I Won't Stop[/u] [sub][i]"Gotta keep goin'. We can't stop, not now, not ever. Got to get outta the city, find someplace safe to rest. Yes dear I know, it'll be fine. We're not gonna die, don't worry, I'll kill all the bastards that try. Don't you look at me like that, you know where I come from, you know what you were gettin' yourself into. Look, ugh, I'm workin' things out, alright? I'm going through some stuff, cuttin' all my ties with that place, don't you worry. We'll be untouched where we're goin', I'll make sure of it. Now take the horse 'n go! I'll catch up with you! Leave these bastards to me! Don't you worry, I'll find you! Now go! [b]GO![/b]"[/i][/sub] [i]A dirt road. It's night time. Foggy. I hear horses. Frenzied hoofbeats on dirt and mud and stone. A woman screaming in fear. I remember following behind the lady. She is with child. I am riding a horse. The men behind me are similarly armed. Weary of the chase, I stop and dismount. The lady screams my name. I pay her no mind and confront my pursuants. Then I remember blood.[/i] [u]The Road to Redemption[/u] [sub][i]"Ah don't worry kid. It'll only be until we get a better place to stay, alright? Daddy's gotta work to get coin, and this is the only way daddy knows how to. Besides, it'll be in the palace! Daddy can tell you all about how the king and the queen! Now lemme see you smile. Lemme see. Smile fer me kiddo, else you ain't gettin' a good night kiss. There ya go. Prettiest gal in the whole neighbourhood, you are. My sunshine. Now get to sleep, you got a long day ahead a' you tomorrow, 'n daddy's gotta work for you n' mommy, alright? Relax, sweet cheeks, I'll be fine. I promise."[/i][/sub] [i]Sunlight streaming through a window. A young girl sits on a chair at a table, eating oats. I sit next to her, a hand gently stroking through her thick, brown hair. The room is homely. Small, but comfortable. She's so pretty. That's my girl. My baby. My sweet, sweet child.[/i] [u]Heaven[/u] [sub][i]"Daddy's home! Oh hey kiddo, c'mere give daddy a big ol' hug! Thaaat's right! Now you're squeezin' the life outta me, leggo! Hehe, how was your day today, sunshine? You met a whole buncha new kids eh? Didja make any new friends? That's great! You'll settle in just fine, sunshine, no sweat. Who, me? I ain't silly, sweet cheeks. Well, today was a good day. I got to meet the king today! How was he? Well he's this old guy, like daddy, but his hair's all grey, and he wears this loooong cape and a crown with shiny jewels in it. Yeah, he's the king baby! The biggest fish in the sea, and daddy gets to play to him for coins! Yeah, sunshine! You couldn't ask for better, right? Where's mommy? She's sleeping? Alright, let's you and me give her a surprise, shall we?"[/i][/sub] [u]A Job[/u] [sub][i]"Yeah, I'm the king's jester, so what? You got anything against that? I make the funnies and make people laugh for coins. It's my job. So sue me. No you can't pull that on me no more, wise guy, I left that life behind. I left it behind, dammit! I swore an oath! I went on one last fuckin' job! I gave it all up! And now you're wantin' me back in?! No way! I have a wife and daughter I have to upkeep! What d'you mean the coin's not enough? I get paid well enough to enjoy life, wise guy, so keep yer money comments to yourself! Look, I made her a promise that I'd stay away from you forever. Yeah, I know I made a promise to you too, but I am not gonna repay you by offing the person I work for! Maybe a drink or something, yeah, but not like this! You want to kill the king, fine, I'll have to work at the tavern again, but I am not the one to kill him. Go find someone else. I'm done with you."[/i][/sub] [i]No one ever told me about the prices one pays for freedom. In hindsight, I guess I was foolish enough not to pay attention to his words. There I stood, blood soaking into my boots. Bodies all around. Everyone was dead. There was nothing else to do, so I ran. I hid. But I swore one thing. I'd make him pay.[/i] [h3][u]Awakening[/u][/h3] [i]Shit...my head. Hurts.[/i] I was surrounded by darkness. Enclosing. Trapping me in its embrace. I shook it off and stood. I was disoriented, confused, head was spinning, nothing was making sense, but as I got right with myself things started being more and more coherent. I wasn't on a road no more. I was in this...place. Smelled damp, moldy. Like the inside of someone's old sock drawer. Unfamiliar terrain. Felt like dirt beneath my feet. I could see in front of my face but the dark around me was thick, heavy, like a fog someone had dyed black. Pea soup. Hell, I couldn't have asked for a worse place to wake up from...whatever had knocked me out. At least I still had my things with me, else I'd have tracked the damn cutpurse that took my gear and made him pay. Now, I had to get out of here. There was...somethin' that needed doin'. [i]But what?[/i] [i]Wait, where am I?[/i] [sub][sub][i]That, my friend, is the million gold question.[/i][/sub][/sub] [i]The hell? Who're you?[/i] [sub][sub][i]I'm you.[/i][/sub][/sub] [i]You're me? Wait...who am I?[/i] [sub][sub][i]You're you, and I'm you.[/i][/sub][/sub] [i]Wait that doesn't make any sense. I'm me.[/i] [sub][sub][i]See? That makes perfect sense.[/i][/sub][/sub] I shook my head. What in the world?! I tried to think, to focus on my name, but nothing came up. Absolutely nothing. Then, as I was trying to calm myself, memories drifted up from my unconscious like a wellspring. A woman. A young girl. Blades, knives. A king. Blood. Death. Shit. This didn't make any sense at all. I didn't even remember what I was doing before I woke up! This was stupid! [sub][sub][i]The wrong man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world.[/i][/sub][/sub] [i]Shut up! I'm trying to think here![/i] [i]Okay, focus.[/i] I took to examining my surroundings a bit more. At my feet, there was a torch, still damp with, as I sniffed my fingers, oil. Slung on my shoulders there was a pack. Inside there was food (thankfully, something right in the world), a waterskin, some other assorted junk, but what I saw was two pieces of flint. A striker, excellent. I fished the stones out of my bag and picked up the torch. Holding the thing between my knees, I struck a spark with the flint and poof, it went up instantly. Light. More things going right for me today, whatever [b]today[/b] was. I kept the stones back in the bag and held up my light. It cut through the black like a knife it did, and I saw more than I wanted to. Irregular stone obelisks jutted out of the ground around me. Some were broken, the rubble scattered out on the dirt, while others extended high, way high into the black sky, farther than I could see. There were no trees, no paths, just the obelisks. They weren't even evenly spaced apart, more like someone had just tossed stone seeds out on the dirt and let them grow into these...things, without caring for organisation or something. Typical. Pfft. The light also, well, lit myself, and for the first time I could gauge myself. I felt like myself, after all. I reached up to touch my head (I must've hit the back of it when I went down), and found myself touching fabric. Cotton, in long spindles that tapered off to a point ended by a...bell. A bell? Okay, I was wearing a hat of some sort. Fine. I took it off and held it in front of me without burning it. The thing looked like some sort of strange, otherworldly beast in the flickering torch light, with its long spindles of fabric and slightly reassuring bells and their soft jingles. The colour on the fabric was faded, yes, but I made out colour. There was patches of red, green, yellow, blue, orange, every other colour in the rainbow, and as I looked down I saw the same sort of attire, faded coloured tunic, pants and soft leather boots. I put the hat back on my head and went to touch my face, but a cold plate got in the way. The hell? I was wearing a mask? [i]My mask.[/i] [sub][sub][i]Our mask.[/i][/sub][/sub] I tried to make out the features of it in the light, but apart from the two holes for eyes, I didn't see anything else on it. It was as pale white as the whites of my eyes. Funny. I looked like a fuckin' joke, like some sort of clown. Clown...was I one? Was I [sub][sub][sub][i]a jester[/i][/sub][/sub][/sub] a jester? That sounded about right. I didn't even know my own fuckin' name, what a joke, but I guess I could call myself Jester until then. Yeah, that would work. Fuckin' Jester the...jester, make you laugh, make you cry, make you bleed your fuckin' bones dry. Har de har har. Well whatever the case, I didn't feel safe here, not at all. I had to get moving. With one foot into the black, the other soon followed. I didn't know where I was going, or where I was gonna go, but I had to find answers. I had to. [sub][sub][i]Or else one of us is going to get very, very[/i][/sub][/sub] [h1]MAD.[/h1] [hider=Don't Click Me] [img]https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/001/661/950/c4021cb9e72fde90ab78e8e0a5096377_large.jpg?1393007725[/img] [sub][sub][sub]Ding dong The king is dead Someone stabbed him in the head Floor is bloody Floor is red The king is fuckin' dead Serves the prick right.[/sub][/sub][/sub] [/hider] [/centre]