The Place Before the Core (Reprise)

Chapter 9: Funny Killers

"Are you serious?" Galactus whispered yelled towards me behind our horses.

"Do I look like I'm playing?" I said back.

"He...she is a blatant assassin who has aim at your head and you want to be asleep with her around. She could kill you in your sleep!" Galactus gabbed on.

"I could kill her in my sleep plus I have a feeling she won't try."

"Any why is that?"

"Cause she is done breaking promises." I said walking to Slashara, who was making conversation with Jepidity and Cecil laughing.

"For an assassin you are quite funny." Cecil laughed out.

"Hey, Slashara, do you know about the ballad?" I asked getting a curious glance from her.

"Yeah I do but by the people it is referred to as the Tale of the UnsAnd I'm guessing your Justalyne." Slashara guessed rubbing her hydra.

"Correct and do you have any leads at all?" I said hinting something.

"Oh okay. So, I don't know anything about most. But I do know what the Rodor reference is. Rodor is magnificent yet damned castle next to the castle of High Emperor. It was made by; you guessed it, Alys, when she took over.I can lead you to Rodor but I'll do better. I will take you inside and all the way to Alys, undetected."

"Really now? And how do you know your way around and how do you know we will not be detected." Galactus said skeptically, moving towards us from behind.

I mouth and mimicked 'he's a nonbeliever' getting the three in front of me to laugh. I turned around and moved out of Galactus' way.

While I did, Slashara answered "After Alys took over; she let me stay at Rodor. When it turned to night, I oozed around the castle, looking at every nook and cranny. I also saw where all the guards and soldiers were positioned. Oh damn... now there is another reason why I will join your guild... She would kill me either way, I know too much."

A long silence was left but I spoke out "Anyways, she proved you wrong Galactus, and we must go on our way. We are burning daylight. And Slashara you'll ride with me, also, where did Alys last talk to you at?"

I hopped onto my horse while Slashara answered, "It was at Kristmus, and she seemed to be doing something their. Lots of soldier and demons are taking guard their."

"Looks like were headed for Christmas." I said looking at Galactus as he and the girls were getting ready.

"It's spelt K-R-I-S-T-M-U-S and it's ambrosially snows there all the time. Only sometimes it might get really heavy and a blizzard. It's very cold in that kingdom, yet the residents don't really mind it. I'll tell you more when we get closer." Galactus said informally.

"Okay then, off we go!" I said as Galactus, Jepidity, and Cecil was on their respected horses and Slashara had her arms around my waist.

And off we went on our journey once again. We rode on and on, eventually leaving the forest. We ended up in a somewhat vacant road that had minimal grass and trees. Looming over the road was a large mountain that looked to be very new and untouched. As we went on, we encountered two travelers who looked awfully scared.

"What's the matter, fellow travelers?" I asked pulling up to them.

They said nothing but gave a look like as if they seen a ghost. They looked up to me and tried to speak but no word came out. Then, one of the guys emitted some words out.

"Jesters...carnival...torture...killed 10 already...Galadum Town." The guy handed me a map of this area and pointed at a place.

I nodded at the guy and he and his pal began their lifeless walk again.

"Change of plans. It's a side mission, guys. We will go and investigate this jester problem." I reared my horse and began to sprint forwards.

*

Our horses wimbled into a small hamlet, filled with houses of the same proportion. People filled the streets, walking around, doing their business, but they all looked like they had to pay the piper. We dismounted our horses and looked around the area. Pools of blood were found anywhere you look, yet no dead bodies were found. Out of a house came a man, donning more elegant clothes than the rest but look as or worst than the people around. I guess he is the mayor. I waved him to come join us and he did so.

"We don't often have travelers here, in Galadum." He said putting on a rehearsed and painful smile.

"We heard about some jester and a carnival going on in this here town..." Cecil began to say but was rudely interrupted when mayor started to run away.

"Hey wait up, what's a matter?" I turned around as several carriages, painted in a wide variety of colors, piled into the town.

"What the hell is that?" Jepidity gasped while garishly dressed people came out.

"Those are the psychotic jesters you heard about," A guy said walking up from nowhere," Gareth Norway, nice to meet you guys. I basically run place since the mayor is a total chicken."

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Justalyne; this is Cecil, Galactus, Jepidity, and Slashara." I said as the jesters began to set up a stage.

"Well, these bastards have been terrorizing our town and countless others, collecting unrepresented taxes. And when you don't pay, they slaughter. We haven't been able to pay in a long time, resulting in 10 deaths. They put on a show that kills whoever is in it." Gareth explained when the jesters finished setting up and was getting ready to speak.

"Such a cliché," I whispered to myself then asked, "Who's in charged, who runs them?"

"They say they come out of request by the evil High Empress Alys." He answered and I gave him a nodded.

People began to gather at the stage set up by the jesters. It was like it was rehearsed but in all truth, they were use to doing it. They all had the life drowned out of them and their clothes were tattered up. They moved with melancholy steps and soon stood silent, staring at the faces of the ever gleaming clowns,

"Step right up to the Game of Death, where everyone who enters dies!" One jester shouted in a cheesy voice.

"We would like five volunteers, if not we will choose!" Another teased looking around.

I whispered to my guild "Hide your weapons."

I raised my hand and called out to the jester. He looked at me baffled but then beckoned us towards the stage.

"You look oddly familiar, very familiar," The jester eyed me up and down but shrugged it off, "That's a nice piece of armor you got there. I'll be sure to take it once you're dead."

I laughed and whispered under my breath "Good luck with that."

I looked around the stage, looking at the different 'props' presented on stage. They had a wide arsenal of weapons ranging from a mace to a dagger, some barrels filled up with essence that I couldn't make out, and body bags, some already occupied.

"Okay, ladies and gentlefarts, it is time for... The Blind Man Battle of Death! Where we blindfold one contestant and that one fight several of our jester friends. First up, the blondie in armor." The front stage jester cheerfully gabbed.

I moved towards the jester as he pulled out a piece of cloth. He turned me around and began to wrap the cloth around my eyes and soon all I saw was the dark. Then he moved me somewhere on stage and then all was still and I was pretty much blind. Then the jester yelled a word I never heard before and then I heard footsteps from behind me and from in front. I then heard metal pierce the air.