Jack Juggler's Story

Ahh... The beautiful bordertown of Skystead. Filled with people passing through from Vóreia to Occidens, or the other way around. Men and women looking for things they can't make themselves or just young boys looking for adventure. Pretty much heaven for people in the entertainment business, people like Jack, and that is exactly why Jack hate this place. All the competition made it nearly impossible to make good money. The people going to the market or crossing the border wasn't really scouting the streets or taverns for the best 'jesters' out there. So the look on his face wasn't really one you would call happy as he rode in to town on his trusty steed Amar.

It wasn't his first time in this sad excuse for a town, and it certainly wouldn't be his last. Unfortunately enough Skystead was one of the few roads where you could cross easily into Occidens and Jack was heading towards a wedding between the kids of two of the more powerful lords of the proud kingdom. Which for any country at the constant brink of war had to be a huge fest for the joy-starving masses. Which of course meant that it was a considerable amount of money to be brought home to his beloved family. It was weird how he even here, almost as far away as he got, couldn't just stop coming back home. Well Jack's mood was already moody enough. The last thing he needed right now was to philosophize about the broken bonds to his family.

"Won't be too long to nightfall hmm Amar?" The horse hardly even reacted to its owners words. "Everything as usual then..." Jack thought to himself as he started to look around for someplace where he could rent a room, but old mr. Murphy is never wrong and surely enough none of the taverns he visited had any rooms for rent. And it would snow in hell before Jack settled with sleeping in the hay like some animal! Well, so far the only places he'd asked around was the nicer ones. Maybe it was time to move down on the ladder to some of the more shabby places.

Jack actually had success in one of the darker places, some beat up old filth hole with a constantly screaming guy with a sword. "The screaming swordsman.. What a fitting name" Jack thought to himself as he approached the bar and the rather shady looking owner. "Well good day to you, champ" Jack greeted the man in which he only received a grunt in return "I'm looking for a place to spend the night, and seeing your rather... extraordinary facade I can't help but notice that you probably could use a few extra coins in the bag?" The sarcasm could almost be touched. "Yup! 50 bronze" The owner said with a grumpy look on his face, clearly looking Jack up and down. Since he was in his traveling outfit, the black one the owner didn't think Jack was good for much, which to be honest suited Jack just fine. "A man of few words I see, a man of few words without a name known to me" Jack said, flashing one of his winning smile as he leaned over the bar. "But as you might understand even though I like you, you might understand that 50 bronze is just a little over the top. Even for your amazing establishment... Lets make it 10 and the biggest room you got eh?" The winning smile was like throwing pearls for pigs, it couldn't have affected the owner less. "Call." He simply said "that's my name. 15's not enough. 40" The look on Call's face was the definition of 'carved in stone' "Sorry mac. 30 is everything that I got yo my name, and I'll need food as well for tonight. Lets say I pay you 30 for the room and for three portions of that amazingly smelling stew you got over the fire there" Jack parried as the bargain continued. Finally cracking the stone face with a sly grin Call nodded and got a key from under the desk. "Stable's around back. Ale is extra" he said as he handed Jack a huge, rusty key. "Thank you pall! Can't wait to test your bed"

About half an hour later Jack had put Amar away, placed the little luggage he carried with him in his room and was now sitting in one of the corner down in the tavern, playing his lute while trying to force down the terrible brew of god-knows-what that Call had placed on his table. Jack's only relief at this moment was his beloved lute. Well his lute and the drunken swordsman himself. He was actually shouting quite allot of funny nonsense.

Jack was well into a long ballad called "Rise of the unwanted Child" as a young pink haired boy walked, well more like stumbled, in through the door. Something about the kid caught Jack's attention. Something about him reminded him of himself. The look on the kids face was also familiar, it was the one of someone who had been on the road for far to long. So the surprise wasn't that big for Jack when the kid collapsed without even finishing his first sentence. From the bar he could hear Call sighing, and the same something that made him notice the kid, also gave Jack compassion for the guy. "Hold it pall" Jack shouted to Call as the owner started to move toward the poor kid. "I'll pay for him, just help me get him to my room" Jack said as he stood up from his chair and placed his lute against the wall before walking toward pinkead. Call on the other hand hesitated a bit, not really able to decide wherever Jack actually would pay for both of them or not. His mind changed pretty quickly when he saw the gold coin suddenly appearing in Jacks extended hand. Suddenly the owner was kindness himself practically running up the stairs with the boy in his arms. "Amazing what people will do for money" Jack mumbled to himself before siting back down in the corner to continue on the ballad.

"And have something ready for him to eat when he wakes up, if you would be so kind..." He said as he tossed the coin to Call. "Please make it something actually edible" with that Jack pushed the bowl of the god-knows-what stew away and continued playing his music. Waiting for the kid to wake up and come back down.

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Jack Juggler

"that's all? I've heard much crazier----"Jack had started to say in somewhat of a reassuring tone, but he was cut of before he could finish the sentence, like this Cassius hadn't even heard him speaking.”Thanks… but I just realized I don’t have time for this. There are lives at stake…”Before rushing out of the door without as much as a goodbye or even a thanks. "Hey! we're are you goin--" but again Jack was cut of, this time by the door slamming behind the pink haired lad. "God damn this kid is a rude one" Jack thought to himself. Something told him that the kid meant nothing but trouble and should probably be left alone, but then again something else about the little brat gave of a sent of power. For all Jack knew, this kid could be some rich lords kid suffering from amnesia, maybe helping him would pay out for a poor jester...

"HEY!" Jack shouted to the street, getting a few weird looks from people who weren't Cassius. "KID! I need to talk to you!" He shouted after someone he could see in the distance who had pink hair. For once lady fortune was actually at Jack side as the kid turned around with a puzzled look on his face. "Glad I caught you, lad" He said as he jogged up to the kid. "Look, you said you were heading for Vóreia , and as faith has it, so am I" Jack said, putting an arm around Cassius' shoulder as he spoke.

"Why don't we team up and continue this adventure together?" The kid looked a little unsure, probably puzzled by Jack's offer, but Jack flashed one of his winning smiles which hopefully reassured him. “I don’t see why not… The kid said a little hesitant, letting Jack lead him back towards the tavern. "but I warn you, I don’t have much a plan for after I get there.” What a surprise Jack though sarcastically to himself, but on the outside of course he acted as the information simply amused him a little as he gave a small laugh. "Well, that's the fun things about adventures, you make them up as you go" He stopped right in front of the Screaming Swordsman's door. "But, as you probably understand, we'll need supplies and such. So why don't you sit down in here and let me get us set? Get my horse ready and all." Jack suggested and nodded towards the door. Surprisingly enough Cassius seemed hesitant, like he had another idea. “You know, Jack, I’ve been traveling just fine without any supplies… and as you said, you got a horse. I’m sure you’ll manage just fine in catching up with me. Besides, how far could I possibly get on foot?"

Jack laughed within himself. Yeah, you managed very well without supplies, pall But out loud he said: "Well, you know best yourself, mate. Just follow the main road towards Vóreia. I'll catch up with you in the evening. See you then, lad" With that Jack smiled and gave Cassius a gentle slap on the chin before turning in his heels and walking towards the market to get supplies. Leaving the puzzled Cassius to do whatever he saw fit.

This post was co-written by Maestro :D

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Jack had seemed rather eager to spirit him back to the tavern, but his feet told him otherwise and he knew he’d regret it if he didn’t get moving. They were still a few days outside of Vóreia, and Cassius had the strangest feeling that he’d find what he was looking for once he got there. His journey was just beginning, and in Vóreia he’d take the first steps towards saving the girl from his dreams. Or so he believed, that is. He wasn’t entirely sure what was guiding him, but he felt it in every fiber of his being that some higher force was pulling him north (even though his heart knew that his final destination lied somewhere in the Eastern Queendom of Anatoli).

At times, Cassius had wondered if he was simply deranged. There was no sense in chasing down a face he’d only seen in his imagination. But, he was driven with conviction and convinced that she was as real as he was. For sixteen years he’d watched her struggle and live in darkness, experiencing every moment of her anguish and torment as if he was the one imprisoned inside the cave and not her.

"Well, you know best yourself, mate. Just follow the main road towards Vóreia. I'll catch up with you in the evening. See you then, lad.” Staying on the main street, he wove his way through the plaza, surviving the dangers and intrigue of the marketplace before finally reaching the northern edge of the city. Just before stepping outside the city gates, he heard a voice in a nearby alley… a voice that immediately lured him into the dark decrepit corridor.

“Cassius…” A mere whisper in the wind, he only stepped further into the darkness before something snatched his wrist, dragging him onto the ground. Slumped against the wall, he saw only a silhouette in the shadows near him as slender bony hands reached out for him. The figure cackling, it revealed its discolored hood draped around its head before finally its dark beady eyes fell onto Cassius. Shivers sent spiraling down his spine, beneath the hood he could just barely make out the grotesque creature beneath.

“You’ve kept me waiting a long time, boy. They talk about you, yes, yes, they talk about you. All the time, you see. Nobody listens, they should listen, and nobody does… but I did. You’re special! You were meant to be a farmer… no, not a farmer at all. She thought you were dead see, dead! But you’re not dead now, are you… ?” Terrified, he pressed his back to the wall, fingers curling around the hilt of his… wait, where was his sword?! He must have left it in the tavern. “Dammit…” Having no other options but to indulge whatever it was, he hesitantly stood up. “What are you talking about you old loon?”

”There was twins you see, twins, just like you with pink hair and everything. I saw them I did, I saw them! They didn’t want me to see, but I see everything.” Of all the things that made sense to him, he’d never really acknowledged the fact that he’d shared quite a resemblance with the girl from his dreams. But twins… was that possible? He’d always been the outcast in his village because not many people had hair like his… except for one that he knew of.

”Awe, you realize now, you do, you do! The Queen won’t be very happy when she finds this out, not very happy at all. You best make big friends traveler because you’re going to need them where you’re going.” And just like that, it was gone… leaving Cassius alone with his thoughts. It wasn’t long after the encounter that Cassius was well out of range of the city, his hands deep in his pockets as he mulled over everything he’d heard. The biggest question that rattled his brain was… who the hell was that? And how did they seem to know more about him than he did.

Could it be possible that he had a twin? And what did the Queen have to do with any of this? He was nothing more than a lowly peasant; surely he wasn’t in position to interest a queen in the slightest. “Who am I?” Staring into the sky, he almost didn’t hear the sound of hooves clicking behind him. Jack had come as promised, a welcomed site no doubt as Cassius took note of his sword hanging over the side of Jack's horse. “Am I happy to see you. Maybe there were some supplies I needed after all.”