Author Topic: To the Horizon and Back: The Grinning Jester of Crimson  (Read 9544 times)

Offline Jester Schulz

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To the Horizon and Back: The Grinning Jester of Crimson
« on: November 21, 2014, 08:25:19 am »
Part 1 - A Jester born in the flames

Looking out onto the barren desert, a medium sized man in a dirty old duster stands. The wind rushes through the air and rustles the feather stuck in his prized military captain hat. This hat was almost as dirty and as old as the duster. It has been with him since the day he took it from the dead corpse of an enemy captain in his first win in battle. Those were the days of sailing under an old man they called Armored Jack.

Armored Jack was an old war horse who served as the captain of a scouting airship. Back then he flew for the Fjord Baronies. He was a celebrated captain who had the piloting skills that allowed him to best ships much larger than his. He became the Commander of the oldest scouting legion and was hailed as a hero. That is, until his ship was sabotaged by the heir to a wealthy family who wanted nothing more than to takes Jack's place as Commander. His ship's engines blew up halfway through a scouting mission in the area of Firnfeld and crashed into the harsh snow covered ground. A airship ambush soon occurred and the rest of the scouting airships were left hopeless without their Commander. The battle ended with all 10 ships destroyed minus one, the ship that carried the heir. The heir would spin a tail of how Jack left them and they were left to battle without him. Jack was cut from Baronies' history and the heir became Commander. Jack awoke to the sound of burning wood and a sharp pain in his left arm. His arm was cut clean off and the cold would stop the bleeding. He had been the only survivor of the crash. He would wander the barren snow for hours until he found a small little village. The villagers nursed him to health and he would continue on his way. He had heard that he was stripped of rank and all recognition by the Baronies so he had no choice but to leave his home. He rode from tradeship to tradeship looking for work and a place to stay. He eventually made it to the vast Burren. He sought refuge in a small town towards the edge of the Burren. He worked as a one armed blacksmith assistant. He worked his strength back up and left. He came across a small cave while searching for safety from a sandstorm. There he found a crazed man with a beaked doctors mask. The man cocked his head at Jack and said, "I can fix that." He swiftly moved towards him and pointed at his nub of a left arm. Jack only shook his head at the man. The man reached into his bag and pulled out a copper contraption that looked fairly old and yet nothing like Jack has ever seen. "They call me the Tinkerer. I search for unique old world technologies and then give them to those I see fit to yield them." Jack looked puzzled at the Tinkerer. The Tinkerer flipped a switch and the contraption sprung to life. Jack gazed upon it and could only think of one thing it could be used for. "Yes it is what you think it is. Its an arm." How did he know what I thinking, Jack thought to himself. "I want you to have this," said the Tinkerer. He attached inserted a needle into Jack's spine and then strapped the arm to Jack's body. Within a few days, Jack learned to control the arm and then the two parted ways. Jack made his way to a trading town where he met up with a convoy heading out into the Burrens. Jack ordered to be dropped off near Paritus. The captain denied him but Jack "persuaded" him to do it. In Paritus, Jack ventured into the Labyrinth. There he would stay for months building his own airship to set sail back into the skies. Luckily he found the remains of a crashed Yesha scouting vessel. He fixed the ship and took to the skies again in what he called the Hyena. He traveled from city to city and amassed a strong crew. Jack did what he did best, fight. He raided pirate airships and faction airships alike. He also sold his services to nations who were willing to pay a pretty penny to raid faction caravans. The mechanical copper arm became a symbol of fear and Jack became an infamous mercenary and outlaw. Jack's reign would last for years. Jack would soon grow old and weaker than he was. He needed to find someone to take his place. The biggest question was, who would be the person to take the place of Armored Jack?

Jack had found the boy while raiding a small, unnamed village in the rocky hills. He took the boy as his protege, for it was the dying wish of the boys mother to spare him. Jack accepted her plea before putting a bullet in her head. The boy watched as his village burned to the ground and his mother's body turn to ash in front of him. He did not shed one tear for his village or his mom. From that day forward he would live the life of an outlaw and a mercenary.

The ship was an old scouting warship called the Hyena. It boasted armor and speed but lack heavy amounts of firepower. The ship ran like a welled oiled machine and Armored Jack was ruthless. He punish any man who would dare question him or take even a second longer to complete a task. His favorite thing to do was to dangle a man from the bow of the ship and raise and lower the altitude. The boy was never punished though. In fact the boy grinned at the sight of other getting punished. Jack saw something within the boy. Something that would later come to haunt him.

As the boy grew older, Jack started to teach him the basics of piloting and running a ship. Being that Jack was an old sailor he knew tricks that had not been used in decades. Maneuvers such as the Sacred Octopus and the Hollowed Willow were some of his favorites. Jack taught him how to use the ships lack of firepower to his advantage.

"Let the speed of the ship surprise your enemies and then attack their weak spots." That was Jack's most common saying to the boy.

The boy wanted more and Jack took notice of that. One day Jack tossed the boy an old cutlass and yelled, "Defend yourself!" After that a fury of blows came towards the boy. Much to Jack's surprise, the boy blocked every blow with cat like reflexes. The boy had a talent that could not be bested. Next, Jack tossed the boy an old revolver. He also managed to out shoot everyone on the ship on his first try. "By my old mechanized arm!" Jack yelled out along with an old, deep laugh. He then muttered to himself, "I think it's about time."

The next day, the boy awoke to the roar of the flak cannons. Jack went below deck and yelled, "All hands to battle stations!" The boy jumped up, put on his jackboots, put o his sword and gun and took to the deck. What he saw amazed him. Splinters of wood flying through the air, the smell of gunpowder, the fine spray of blood, and the screams of the enemy and his shipmates. The boy could see no distinguishable marking on the ship nor and colors of an empire. They were air pirates just like them. Jack grabbed his arm and pulled him to the helm. "Grab the damn wheel!" He spat at him. He did so and fought to position the Hyena behind the enemy ship. He could feel the bullets whiz past him and could feel concussion of the flaks and mortars. The wood splintered and the copper cracked. Bodies were torn to shreds and fries broke out. The boy hard to maneuver the ship around to the back or they will go up in smoke.

The Hyena got to the tail and then let out a barrage of Gatling gun fire, tearing the enemy engine to shreds. The enemy was left stranded and then the boy yelled, "Ready the harpoon!" The harpoon rocketed toward the enemy ship and burst through the hull. The winches screamed as the ship was pulled close. The screams of the men followed soon after. The boy stepped down to the main deck, grabbed a rob and swung across. The men followed suite. The clanging of steel and the pounding of gunshot was deafening. The boy fought his way to the enemy helm and saw his prize. The enemy captain lunged at him trying to gut him. The boy parried and struck back. The captain did the same. In return however, the boy countered and pulled the captain in. He then shouldered him and knocked him off balance. The boy followed up and gained the upper hand. He called the shots and a barrage of attacks were unleashed. The captain couldn't keep up and this cost him his hand. The captain screamed, "I surrender!" This was not enough for the boy. He couldn't stop there. He drove his sword into his chest. The sucking noise that followed made him shudder with excitement. When he felt the body slump, he pulled the sword out of its crimson sheath. The grin he had on his face was almost as horrifying as the fate of the captain. Jack looked up and saw this grin and he knew right then what he saw years ago. He saw a thirst for battle and power.

From the head of the captain, the boy swooped a dark, feather boasting hat. A old naval hat worn by captains. He saw that it was fit for him to take it since he was the one who finished him off. The ship was stripped of any goods and was blown out of the sky. The hat taken that day would be a reminder of his first drop of blood in his river of crimson that would be his life. This is just the beginning of the story of the man who would be called the Grinning Jester of Crimson. This man is Jester Schulz.

Offline Jester Schulz

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Re: To the Horizon and Back: The Grinning Jester of Crimson
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2014, 08:26:16 am »
Feel free to post your comments and advice. If you feels that you can add to the story or branch off on your own, go right ahead!

Offline Jester Schulz

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Re: To the Horizon and Back: The Grinning Jester of Crimson
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2014, 11:25:27 am »
Part 2 - The last laugh

Days passed and the amount of burning ships pilled up. Armored Jack and the crew of the Hyena left a pile of wreckage and blood in their path and had no sign of stopping. The figurehead of the battle, Jester Schulz, took lead of every battle. With cutlass in hand he would charge right into the fray and cut down anyone who was in his path. Though this was not enough to satisfy the Grinning Jester of Crimson. "More! More! We need more!" Jack could only smile at the boy's lust for battle and he was happy to supply him with as much blood as he could ever want. "There are plenty of fish to fry Jester. Lets go hunting until you've gotten your fill."

With a plethora of loot in hand they finally had to stop at a outlaw port. The crew of the Hyena rested for a few days at a nearby tavern and traded their goods away for wealth. The nights were restless for Jester. He paced his room until he eventually found himself alone at the bar. He drank until the urge became too much. He needed a fix. He needed to fight. He needed blood. He left the tavern with no intention of returning until his blade was quenched with the blood of some unlucky soul. He searched until he found a wandering traveler minding his own business at the nearby ship port. Jester grab the man and threw him to the ground. He drew his sword and pointed it at the man's chest. "Get up and draw your sword!" Jester yelled at the man now sitting on the ground. "Of what reason do you have to accosting me to a duel?" The man's words were too elegant to be of just a common traveler but Jester payed no attention to that. The man stood up and drew his sword. This sword, however, held the crest of the Baronies and gilded with gold and small jewels. Jester still did not notice anything suspicious about the man. When the man was ready Jester leaped forward and struck him. The man parried in a swift fashion and followed suit with his own strike. Jester dodged the strike easily and clubbed the man with his closed fist. The man staggered back and recovered quickly. The man faked a lunge and Jester fell for it. The man followed up with a powerful slash. Jester rolled his shoulder to the left and the tip of the sword just barely nicked him. Strike after strike the two fought. The clang of cold steel rang throughout the ship port. The fight was very much a battle of unleashed fury against structured elegance. Both men showed signs of weariness which lead to a short break in the fight. Both men breathed heavily and stayed at each other. Both men were equally match and neither could get get an advantage over the other. The heavy breathing stop and they both nodded to one another. The fighting started back up again. Jester decided to change his style of fighting. He sacrificed defense in order to wear down his opponent. The man kept his rudimentary fencing style and tried to keep up with Jester. The ferocity of Jester's blows wore down the man and caused him to expose a weak spot. Jester saw this and struck swiftly. His blade plunged into the man's gut. The man dropped to his knee and grabbed the sword sticking in his belly. "You changed your style. Well played," the man said with a grin. Jester replied, "You left your guard down." Jester grinned back and let out a small laugh. The man slumped to the ground and was dead. Blood flowed from his wound and pooled at Jester's feet. Jester looked down and saw the man's sword. He picked it up and took the sheath from the man's belt. This was his prize. He strapped his new sword on, turned on his heels, and left the scene. Jester had just unknowingly murdered the heir to a noble Baronies family.

The next day Jester awoke to Jack grabbing him and throwing him against the wall. "Do you have any idea of what you just did?!?" Jack was yelling at him and balling mechanized hand into a fist. "YOU, (pointing at Jester with his human hand) just murdered the heir to the Brimstone family of the Baronies!" Jester replied with, "How do you know that it was me?" Jack replied with, "There were witnesses who saw your battle and you even left your sword!" Jack looked at Jester's belt and proclaimed, "You even took his sword!" Jack then proceeded to grab Jester yet again and threw him across the room. Jester slowly picked himself up and brushed the dust off of him. "I dueled him with honor and he fell bravely." "Eyewitnesses say that you're the one who started the fight! It doesn't matter at this point. He's dead, you're to blame, and we now have to get the hell out of here." Jack and his crew booked it out the tavern and didn't let anyone get in their way. Jack even punched a few men who tried to stop them. They reached the Hyena and climbed aboard.

Meanwhile, at the home of the Brimstone dynasty. "Are you telling me that my son was murdered by some rat?" The messenger replied, "Yes my lord. He was watching over his ship when a man came up and forced him to duel. You're son, being the honorable man he was, had no choice but to accept. A witness saw who it was and woke up his crew. They sent me to bring you the news. I got here as soon as i could, my Lord." Lord Siegfried Brimstone stood up and threw his glass of whisky across the room. "That was my only son! I want the murderer's head at my feet!" He grabbed the messenger by the collar and brought him close. "Bring me my daughter, Petra!" He threw the messenger back and he started running out of the door. A few minutes later, footsteps rang through the hallways and Petra crashed through the door. "You range for me father," she said bowing in front of him. Lord Brimstone replied, "Your brother Sven has been murdered by a outlaw names Jester Schulz. I want you to find him and bring him to me. He will rot in the Baronies jail for what he has done." Petra replied, "Consider it done father." Lord Brimstone replied, "I let you into this house and took you as my daughter. Best not to forget that. Do not fail me. You are one of the top bounty hunters in the Baronies arsenal. Live up to that." With that Petra turned and left the room. She ran down to the barracks and woke her men. "Wake up you piles of vulture food! My brother was killed by Jester Schulz and we are tasked to bring him back here!" The men got ready and prepared the Leviathan. Petra took the helm and set off in the direction of the Burren. "I will not fail you father and I will avenge you brother." Petra muttered to herself.

 Just as fast as they got to the ship, the Hyena quickly set sail. Once they were a safe distance away, Jack stripped Jester of his weapons and dragged him onto the main deck. Jack hit Jester in the gut with his metal hand. Jester curled into a ball and winced with pain. The crew cheered on as their captain punished Jester. "You managed to screw up our break from pirating all by yourself! You lust for battle has gotten to your head! Do you understand what is going to happen now? The Fjord Baronies are going to be hunting us down to get their hand on you." This lead to a punch to the jaw and a boot to the chest. Jester fell backwards and looked up at Jack. "Give me one reason why i should not just let them have you?!" Jester sat up and looked up at Jack. A wide grin appeared on his face. "Because you didn't take all of my weapons." As Jester said that, he jumped up and lunged at Jack. Jester unsheathed the blade he kept in his boot and went for Jack's belly. He ducked under Jack's heavy arm. The blade met Jack with a thud. Te blade stuck out of Jack's belly. Looking up from his gut, Jack's eyes met with Jester's. Jack let out a blood curdling yelled and punched Jester in the chest. Jester flew back and Jack followed him. Jack raised his arm and brought it down on Jester's left hand. A loud crunch was heard followed by Jester yelling in pain. Jack started laughing. Jester looked at his mangled hand and looked back at Jack. He got up and started backing away. "Giving up already? I expected as much from you boy!" Jack said in between his fit of laughter. Jester then sprinted forward and caught Jack off guard. Jester sprung into the air and delivered a kick right to the blade in Jack's belly. The blade went all the way through and fell to the ground behind Jack. The laughter and cheers stopped and all that was heard was a loud thud. Jack dropped dead. Blood pouring from the entrance and exit wound. Jester picked up the blade and started cutting off Jack's mechanical arm. A look of freight spread across the face of every crew member. Jester put away the knife and picked up the arm. He spit on Jack's body and said, "Who has the last laugh now?" He walked across the deck towards the captains cabin. He stopped halfway and yelled, "What are you looking at?!! Clean this mess up and dump the body over the side of the ship! I'm captain now. The Hyena belongs to me!" The crew reanimated and started cleaning the blood. Jack's body was tossed over the edge of the Hyena. The ship that Jack rebuilt was turned over to the person who was to take his place. Jack never imagined it would change hands this way. Jester stored the arm in "his" cabin and made his way to the helm. His limp hand dangled by his side. He grabbed the wheel and the Hyena sailed off into the Burren. A new captain, a new set of rules, a new purpose, and now a new hunter who will chase Jester to the ends of the World.

Offline Jester Schulz

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Re: To the Horizon and Back: The Grinning Jester of Crimson
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2014, 08:12:53 pm »
From the journal of Miss Petra Brimstone.

It's been almost 6 years since father... I mean Lord Brimstone, made me join the Baronies army. Life isn't too bad. I've made my way to the top of my legion. I think the captain wants me to transfer to one of the special forces units. The question is, which unit do i want to go to? The vanguard unit is all about being the first ones into battle and being the last ones out. They are the best of the best. That sounds like it would be interesting but those guys are really cocky and due to me being the illegitimate daughter of a high born, I wouldn't be welcomed kindly. The scouting detachment seems like they have seen some adventures. Being able to scout undiscovered locations and interact with new people would be wonderful. The only problem is that the new commander of the scouting detachment has a tendency to command his men into traps or even worse, send them to places where the conditions are hospitable. How he ever became the commander is beyond my comprehension. It must be because he is a pure blood noble. I could take the same route as Sven and join the Black Bird group. It would be nice to see what goes on in that secret military group of his. All he ever tells me is "You might be able to join some day, little sis." All i know is that they specialize in espionage. I haven't seen Sven in 7 years. It would be great to see him again. Which to choose, which to choose. Oh wait. There is one more of that I know of. The Talon. They are almost never talked about. They are the most unorganized military group I have ever seen. It's as if they took the bottom of the best and put them there. They simply hunt down enemies of the Baronies. The don't get much credit due to how disorganized they are and the unorthodox methods they use but they always get the job done. If i recall from some of the gossip from the other soldiers, I think they are going through a transition period and are looking for someone to command one of the subbranches. I might look into that. If it keeps me from going through another 2 to 3 years of serving under someone it would be worth it. I'll think about it and then talk to my commanding officer tomorrow. Until then,"May Blood be Stronger than Steel".

Offline Jester Schulz

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Re: To the Horizon and Back: The Grinning Jester of Crimson
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2014, 12:30:59 pm »
Part 3: Blood and Copper

The Hyena stopped at a small village. There they bough food and supplies. This gave the crew some time to rest and for Jester to heal. The next three days were filled with pain and lots of tinkering. Jester's bones in his left hand were far beyond repair. The force of Jack's punch broke many bones and even turned some into dust. His hand could't be fixed. His first though was to make a shell that would encase his hand. A sort of exo-skeleton, but alas his hand is unable to move and this rendered that idea impossible. For the exo-skeleton to work, his hand would have to still function properly. This only left one option and Jester did not like it. He would have to amputate his hand and replace it. Just like Jack did with his arm. He spent a whole day messing with Jack's mechanical arm trying retool it to fit his needs. He needed it to work just like his normal hand would. After a day of tinkering he finally got the hand apart and set up as a prosthetic. The only thing that was left was to get rid of his now useless left hand and connect the hand to him. This would be the most painful part of the process. Jester called for the ship doctor to help him. Jester drank moonshine until he felt that he could bear the pain and prepared for the worst. Jester bit down on his leather bet and the doctor brought the blade back. "We need to close the wound quickly and put the hand on so we have to heat the mechanical hand until it's red hot and then place it on your wrist. On the count of three," he said. "Three, two, one." The blade came down with a thud and a muffled cry of pain leaked from Jester's clenched mouth. Crimson flowed from his now handless wrist and the doctor cleaned the wound with moonshine. The doctor nodded to the man holding the now red hot mechanical hand. The hand was placed on Jester with a loud sizzle. More pain and more choked cries of agony. A small needle connected to some wire was inserted into Jester's spine. This allowed him to control the hand like he normally would. The hand was now fused to him. A new hand that would allow him the same kind of movement his old hand did. At this point Jester had passed out from the pain so he was carried to the captain's cabin to rest. A day passed and Jester woke up to a sharp pain in his wrist. He looked down and saw his new hand fused to his wrist. He moved it. It surprising moved like his normal hand would and all he did was think about moving his left hand. He stood up, took a swig of whisky, put on his equipment and headed out onto the deck. He was greeted by the doctor who applied an herbal ointment to where the hand met his wrist. After the encounter he mad his way to the helm. He grabbed the wheeled and set a course for the west. He needed to hunt something and he needed to do it soon.

Petra stepped of the Leviathan and made her way to the tavern that Jack, Jester, and the crew stayed in. Within three steps she was stopped by a group of 4 armed raiders. "Your kind isn't welcome her. This is a free port that is not under the influence of any faction. Leave now and things won't get rough, girl." Petra just grinned and rested her left hand on her belt just barely touching her pistol. She replied, "I'm sure you can find it in your heart to let a simple girl go through. I promise I'll be good." She then raised her hand and snapped her fingers. A blur of dark cloaks and a cocking of rifles soon followed. The 4 raiders were surrounded by 4 cloaked men who aimed their rifles at each of their heads. Petra stepped forward and grinned. "It seems that my trained bounty hunters don't like you that much. I would suggest turning the other way and let us through." The 4 raiders turned around and walked off back into whatever hole they crawled from. Petra then continued her way to the tavern. She could hear the bustling tavern from the outside. She could hear laughter, music, talking, and clinking of drinks. She opened the door and the sounds immediately stopped. Everyone looked towards the door. Their eyes caught sight of Petra and then immediately adverted to another direction. Petra walked up to the bar tender and owner of the tavern. She sat down at the bar and rested her head on her hand, much like a student would when falling asleep in class. She spoke to the man with a calm demeanor. "I know that the captain of the Hyena and the rest of the crew stayed here a few days ago. If you value your establishment, you'd best stat talking." She smiled at him like they have been friends for years. She was like a cat toying with it's prey. The man hesitated and then replied, "I don't want any trouble. Armored Jack and his men stopped for the night and left that morning. They were in a hurry." Petra replied with, "I wonder why that was? Care to enlighten me about it?" "Something about a kid named Jester killing the heir to a family during the night. They got chased out of town by the poor sap's men," the man replied. Petra started moving her hand to her belt and said, "Do you have any idea where they could have went?" The man felt a bead of sweat rolled down his face.  "They headed east, I think." "Now do you think or do you know?" Petra stood up as her words left her mouth.  "I know. I know for sure, ma'am. Please. That's all I know." Petra turned around and started walking towards the door. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it? Now if it turns out that you were lying, I will come back, drag you out into the Burren and leave you there to perish." She turned back and looked at him. She gave him a smile, reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a coin. She flicked it to him and made her way out the door. She headed back to the Leviathan and climbed back aboard. "We have a heading. We're heading towards the east. Maybe we can catch them in the Burren." She grabbed the wheel and they sailed off.

The hand felt natural to Jester while fighting. He found that his aim was a bit steadier than when he had a human hand. Due to the hand being metal, Jester also found that he could use it to block enemy swords. He could pull of maneuvers that would overwhelm his enemies. He could knock the blade with his hand and strike with his sword. He could grab the enemies blade and pull so that his opponent lost their balance. This gave Jester the opportunity to become even more ferocious while fighting and gave him an advantage that no one else had. The Hyena battled until Jester had his fill. This included 2 cargo ships, 3 escort ships, and 2 raider ships. Jester may have had his fill but he was not satisfied. He felt that the Hyena was too weak and lacked the necessary firepower. Also, the Hyena had taken too many hits and needed repairs. He decided to dock at the nearest port. The Hyena docked at a small airship station and this allowed Jester to think about what to do with the Hyena. The Hyena needed to change to fit his need. The ship was too weak so there needed to be more armor. The ship lacked heavy amounts of firepower so he needed to replace some of the small guns with larger ones. He had the money to buy supplies but the problem was finding where to get them. Jester didn't like stripping weapons from ships. He mainly took valuables and trinkets. Nothing more. He had no previous need for them. Jester would have to stop at a bigger city, most likely affiliated with a faction. If he wanted good guns, he would need to go to a bigger city owned by a faction. He despised the idea of it. He wanted no art in the factions' quarrels but if the price was good enough he would "lend" his services. Being a mercenary payed well but being a raider was much better. Life without freedom was a life not worth living. With that being decided, the next day the Hyena left port and make a course towards the Yesha Empire.

Petra did not sleep. She kept hold of the helm and would not give it up until she got closer to her prey. She loved her brother and looked up to him. He was her mentor and her guidance. Petra wanted revenge for Sven's death but she could not let her emotions get the best of her. She didn't want to anger her father. She knows very well what he is capable of doing, the scar on her chin proves that. Petra knew she was on the right track. All she had to do was follow the smoke and debris from the ships Jester destroyed. While stopping at villages on the way, she asked about how far behind her ship was compared to theirs. The villagers said she was about 2-3 days behind them. Petra needed to speed things up if she wanted to catch Jester. She climbed back on her ship and headed off.

It took about 3 days to reach the heart of the Yesha Empire. With each day the Leviathan started getting closer and closer to the Hyena. The Leviathan was about a day behind and was steadily catching up. Jester hopped off the Hyena and stepped foot on Yesha soil. He could already tell that he didn't like it here. "We are here to get new weapons and equipment that's all. Nothing more so don't waste my time by doing something stupid." He sent his men off to buy new weapon parts and parts to upgrade the ship's hull. Jester went off on his own and headed towards a firearms dealer. Black market of course. He traded his old pistol that Jack gave him for a more precise and more expensive revolver. Nothing too expensive but just expensive to make a statement. He also bought a few upgrades that he was going to install later on his on. He left the dealer and wandered around the city for a while. He looked at a few personal items to put in the captain's quarters. He decided on buying a small jewelry chest that he could use to store some of his trophies. After about 7 hours of aimlessly walking about, Jester made his way back to the Hyena. Upon return he found only disappointment. About 9/10 of his crew made it back. The rest were still in the city somewhere. Jester went looking for them himself. He would have to punish each one personally. In a matter of 3 hours, he found them all. They were all in a bar drinking away the money Jester gave them to buy supplies. No surprise it was some of the powder monkeys he picked up along the way to the Yesha Empire. He met the small group with sword and gun in hand. "Get your asses back to the Hyena unless you want this place to be our grave!" Jester was about to lose it. All of the men started to make their way back, all except 3. "Give us a reason why we shouldn't just kill you know and take the Hyena for ourselves. We have the advantage. 3 against 1. Not very fitting odds for you captain. Why don't you give us, real men, your ship and you be on your way?" Jester grinned and said, "How about you empty your pockets and go back to the ship and work until you've payed back my money." The men turned and looked at each other. "How about no. Take a step outside and we will solve this like men." The 4 of them all exited the bar and entered the streets. The three men drew their blades and the largest one spoke. "It's not too late to turn tail and leave captain. There is no shame in being beat and having your ship taken." Jester holstered his gun and just continued to grin. "How about you three greenhorns leave with your tails tucked between your legs so I don't have to splatter your blood on the street?" With that concluding word, Jester leaped forward and tried to strike the large one. The sudden attack surprise them and they just barely got out of the way. Jester recovered and immediately followed up with a second attack. This attack was just as ferocious and powerful as the first. His sword struck the sword of the smaller man. Jester then grabbed the blade with his mechanical hand. He pulled the blade to the side and Jester followed suit with a hilt bash to the chest. The man let go of the sword and flew back onto the ground. The largest man tried to strike at jester while he was in the middle of the chest bash. As soon at the chest bash connected, Jester moved his left arm to intercept the blade. His arm just made it there and the blade connect with Jester's copper hand. Jester twisted his body around and kicked man in back of the leg and brought him to his knees. The third man was starting to lunge at Jester as his kick made contact. Jester brought his blade around and parried his attack. Jester twirled around hand drove the blade, still in his left hand, into the man's chest. The blade embedded itself into the man's chest and Jester let go of the blade. The momentum of both men drove the blade all the way through and sent him flying back. Blood sprayed from the wound and landed on Jester's jacket sleeve. A stream of crimson flew through the air as the man flew back onto the ground. Jester then turned his attention to the man who was on his knees. Jester cocked his bloody left hand back and swung it down. It made contact with the man's jaw and the man fell to the ground. The first man who was almost up on his feet start to run towards the nearest sword. Jester saw him out of the corner of his eye and grabbed for his gun. His left hand grabbed the gun and pointed at the man running. Jester turned his head, aimed, and fired. The bullet hit him in the thigh. The man collapsed to the ground and grabbed his leg. He let out a painful yell. Blood started to blow and passed through the cracks in his hand. Jester turned back to the man on the ground. He drove his sword into his gun and put a bullet between his eyes. He started walking to the man clenching his leg. The man started to crawl away. He wanted to get away from this madman who just took the three of them out in a matter of second. His efforts were futile and Jester caught up to him. Jester grabbed his collar and start dragging him. He took him all the way back to the Hyena. They man left a trail of blood behind him. Jester got the man fixed up and made him work for no pay. He was no longer considered a crew member. He was now a prisoner. Jester loaded everything onto the boat and they all left. Jester got off the helm and addressed his crew. "If any of you so much as think about having a mutiny, you have another thing coming. I showed this man mercy and made him a prisoner instead of killing him. The next person will not be so lucky." Jester then walked back to the wheel and sailed on.

By this time the Leviathan was very close. Close enough that Petra could see the ship through the spyglass. This made her anxious and angry. She didn't want Jester to live but she has to follow orders. She did not immediately attack. She did what most hunters do and stalked her prey. She stayed close enough to see but bot too close. She didn't want to raise Jester's suspicion. She knew that Jester was a seasoned captain and knew how to fight. She would need a plan to weaken him from the inside and then she would strike. She thought and thought until she came up with the idea of getting an inside man to sabotage things from the inside out. She would then have to get get someone on land and then get that person on board. She chose one of her most loyal men to do the job. He would need different cloths and would need to sneak onto the ship undetected or join his ship somehow. But first, both ships would have to dock. Petra would have to wait patiently for the right moment to occur. Jester lost time and this allowed the Leviathan to catch up. Petra was now close to her prey. The true hunt now begins.

Offline Jester Schulz

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Re: To the Horizon and Back: The Grinning Jester of Crimson
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2015, 08:44:08 am »
From the Journal of Miss Petra Brimstone - Age 18
I haven’t seen my brother in ages. The last time I saw him was when he stopped at home to congratulate me on joining the Talon division. He told me that I was going to do great things with them. That was about 2 years ago. Now, Lord Brimstone tell me that Sven has been murdered by some rag-tag pirate kid. He was my brother and the amount of sorrow that I feel is unbearable. I looked up to him and he was my source of will to not give up training and keep climbing. With him gone it feels like there is a part of me missing. I missed him dearly while I was serving and I’m going to miss him even more now. Damn that Jester Schulz for taking him away. That cold blooded murderer will not get away with this and I will see that justice will be served. If I had it my way, I would see him dead and his body in the sewers. I would see that he feels the true power and ferocity of the Talon. I would drive my rapier through him personally and watch the lights fade from him. I would take his cold soul personally. Sadly, I will have to deal with him just rotting away inside a jail cell. I hope he rots there for the rest of his life. However, I shouldn’t be too bitter about it. I know Lord Brimstone will personally see that Schulz knows the pain he caused him. If Lord Brimstone was willing to cut my chin with a blade for just disobeying him and going into town, I can’t begin to imagine what he will do to Schulz for killing his beloved son. I hope that by capturing Schulz, Lord Brimstone will actually tell me good job and smile at me instead of telling me to do better and work harder. A girl can only hope. Well, until then, "May Blood be Stronger than Steel".

Offline Jester Schulz

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Re: To the Horizon and Back: The Grinning Jester of Crimson
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2015, 12:35:10 am »
Part 4 - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Every day Petra grew more and more fidgety. She was so close that she Jester was almost in her grasps and yet she had to play her cards right. She needed to get in front of him and anticipate where he was going to stop next. She needed to get her man aboard so that he can set things in motion. It was the only way to outsmart him and take him alive. “If he was good enough to beat Sven, then we would surely expect heavy losses in a head on battle.”
 
The Leviathan chased the Hyena all day and then at night picked up speed in order to get a step ahead of the Hyena. Petra had to make sacrifices in order to get ahead of Jester. Her tired and sore crew lugged all day and night until they finally got ahead of the Hyena. At this point everyone needed a break. It took a total of a week for the Leviathan to successfully get ahead of the Hyena unnoticed. The hard part is now knowing when and where the Hyena will stop for supplies and crew members. Not to mention staying out of sight and out of the battles. The Hyena fought and pillaged while the Leviathan watched quietly; waiting for the Hyena’s next move.
 
“Aren’t we going to do anything about this? He’s even attacking Baronies trade ship,” a young soldier pleaded.
 
“Our job is to capture Schulz, not protect merchants. Let them burn. If their escorts fail to protect them, then it’s their own fault,” Petra coldly replied.
 
The crew of the Hyena kept on fighting and their wealth kept growing all while Jester kept grinning at the helm. He was quite satisfied with the amount of death and bloodshed, but in no way was he ready to stop for a break. He needed more to satisfy his thirst. The flaks continued to rain explosive fury and the Gatling guns continued to spew lead. The river of blood kept flowing and Jester kept grinning. When he had his fill he saw that he was down a large amount of men and needed to stop for crew members and supplies. He turned the wheel and headed to the nearest free port.
 
Petra took notice of this move and followed suit. “Where is the nearest safe port for Schulz to stop for men and supplies?” Petra called out.
 
“About 50 miles northwest,” the navigator called out. Petra smiled and muttered, “He’s heading right towards us.”
 
Petra spun the wheel and yelled, “Get the propellers spinning, on the double! I want to be in port and on the ground by nightfall!” The deck of the Leviathan became a blur as the crew scrambled to get the ship running to top speed. If they wanted to keep Petra happy, they would need to work their asses off and get the ship moving at breakneck speed.
 
With Petra barking command, the Leviathan made it to port in record time. They made sure they docked their ship at the furthest part of the shipyard to not arouse any suspicion. Petra and her men changed out of their Talon uniforms and into more inconspicuous clothing. The worked to set up their plan and make sure that it would go as expected. Petra spoke personally to her spy and made sure he was well informed about the mission. “Make sure you get aboard that ship and be sure as hell not to get caught. The fate of this mission lies with you now. Look for any weaknesses or anything that can be used against Schulz. Prisoners, other crew members, anything at all. Figure something out and make it work. You have 2 weeks and then we strike. You got that? 2 weeks. Do not fail me.” With the plan set, the crew of the Leviathan waited for their prey.
 
The Hyena made its way into port about a day and a half later than the Leviathan. “Resupply and then everyone gets 2 full days to rest. I want everyone back aboard the ship by sunup the 3rd day and ready to sail off. Don’t make me wait or I will hunt you down.” Jester went off on his own, as usual, and went to the nearest tavern. He sat down at the bar and spoke to the bartender. “Where might a captain find some able bodied men to join his crew? My airship is feeling a bit light.” The bartender looked up and replied with a simple point of a finger toward the direction right behind Jester. Jester looked back and saw a large group of men sitting at a table enjoying their drink. Jester stood up and made his way over to them. “My airship is in need of some crew who would be willing lighten the pockets of merchants and other flyers. This job is not for those who are afraid of seeing blood, seeing shipmates die, even dying themselves. Any of you interested?”
 
One of the men spoke up, “Yeah we are interested. Where do you want us captain?” There was something off about his dialect but Jester failed to take notice.
 
“Take 2 days to gather whatever you need and meet me down at the ship dock by sunup on the third day. Don’t be late.” Jester shook their hands and went back to the bartender.
 
“I’ll need a room for two nights and a bottle of your strongest.” He laid down the money and went upstairs. He sat on the bed, opened the bottle, and drank. He sat alone in the dimly lit room. Nothing was said and almost nothing was heard. The only sound was him drinking. He looked at the calendar, got up and looked into the mirror. He took a good long look at the reflection. He looked down at his now mechanized hand. He moved his fingers and looked long and hard at it. Then he turned his attention back to the mirror. He looked back into the eyes of the reflection. He spoke in a calm voice, “Happy 16th birthday.” He raised the bottle as if he was giving a toast to the reflection, then brought the bottle back to his lips. He took a nice long gulp (finishing the bottle) before turning around and heading back to the bed. He then collapsed on the bed.
 
The spy (for all intensive purposes he shall be called Vulture) watched Jester as he made his way up the stairs. Once he got out of sight he turned his attention to his new crew mates. “That’s going to be our captain? He doesn't seem like much,” he spoke to the men around the table. “Yeah. I would have expected a bit more from an airship raider captain.” “Who’s to say that he is even a good captain and pilot? It’s not like we know of him at all.” “He’s hardly famous. If he was, I would have heard of him or recognized him.” Vulture listened to all the negative comments about Jester and smiled. He knew that he would be able to convince them easily. After a bit of heat discussion among the large group of men, Vulture finally spoke up and said, “What if we were to mutiny him and take his ship?” The rest of the men stopped talking and looked at each other. Some looked puzzled, some looked confused, some even looked eager at the thought. After a long pause and some exchanged gazing some of them spoke out and said, “That sounds very doable. He doesn't seem that strong in the first place.  Taking him out would be as easy as convincing a barmaid to sleep with you.” Vulture then addressed them and said, “Then let’s put it to a vote. All in favor stay put and those who oppose can get the hell out.” Only 2 of the men stood up and left.
 
Vulture smiled grimly.  “Alright. With that done, what should we do? I propose we join the crew normally and then after a bit of time we strike when he least expects it. With our numbers we should be able to take out him and whatever crew he has left aboard. I've sailed with many captains and by far he is the weakest looking out of all of them. We should be able to accomplish this without any problems.”
 
“This sounds like a great plan but how are we to know when the time is right? Who will make sure things will go according to plan?” Vulture looked up and smile. He spoke with a calm demeanor, “Leave everything to me. I’ll make sure everything is ready and I will tell you when. Don’t you guys worry.” The talk lasted all through the night and then one by one the men left to go back to whatever building they decided to room in. Vulture was the last person at the table and sat alone.
 
With drink in hand he watched as the tavern door opened and a woman stepped in. She made her way towards his table and sat down. Petra looked at Vulture and smirked. She spoke in a loud whisper, “I take it that everything is in order and that everything will go accordingly?” Vulture took a sip of his drink and replied. “Persuading them to go along with mutiny was way too easy. At least give me a bit of a challenge next time.” Petra got up and moved towards the door. She mouthed the words 2 weeks to him as she left the building.
 
The sun rose and beams of light penetrate the room that Jester found refuge in. He slowly sat up. He was still clutching the empty bottle from the night before. He got to his feet slowly. He looked back at the mirror. Looked at the face staring back at him. He let out a loud sigh. He opened the door to his room and made his way down the stairs. He exited the tavern and made his way to the streets. The light was blinding and Jester shaded his eyes until they adapted. He stumbled a bit before fixing himself upright. He walked back to the shipyard and back to his ship. He wandered the deck and looked at all the wounds she received. He walk to the helm and grabbed the wheel. He sighed. “Why am I breaking down now?” he whispered to himself. He stepped off the ship and looked back at her. He looked at the balloon, the propellers, the guns, and the hyena figurehead. He turned and walked away. After a few hours of wandering he heard a loud thud followed by shuffling of bodies coming from an alley. He made his way to where the noise was coming from. As he got closer he could hear voices. “Please. I need that money to support my daughter. She’s all I have left.” It sounded like an older man. Then he heard a younger voice say, “I don’t give a damn about you and your daughter.” This was followed by a loud whack. Jester stopped in his track. He knew what was going on. A man was being mugged. He could hear the man yelling and screaming with pain. Jester paused for a bit and then walked right past the alley leaving the sound behind. He heard a loud gunshot come from the alley. The screaming and yelling stopped. He didn't hesitate or turn back. All he did was just keep walking, grinning the whole time.
 
Petra sat alone in her room fidgeting. She was getting anxious. She wanted Jester’s head sooner than in 2 weeks. She placed a finger on her chin scar and thought for a bit. She then got up and pondered. She ran her hands through her long brown hair. She moved her hand to her belt and rested her hand on her knife. In one quick motion she unsheathed it and threw it against the wall. She let out a small yell. She walked over to the knife in the walk and punched the area next to the knife. She pulled the knife out of the wall, put it back in its sheath, grabbed her jacket, and walked out the door. She needed some fresh air. She walked until she reached one of the town walls. She climbed up and looked out into the barren land. “I will succeed Sven. You can count on me. I won’t let you down either father. I will win your approval no matter what,” she whispered to herself. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a very small cloth doll that her father gave her when she was very young. She looked down at the doll and smiled. Tears began to form in her eyes and she brought the doll close and held it tight.
 
The next days was uneventful and before long it was the 3rd day. Jester awoken and get his things. He left the tavern and started in the direction of the Hyena. Petra woke up earlier than Jester and made her way to a lookout spot on someone’s roof. The spot was out of sight and overlooked the Hyena. She waited for the plan to be set in motion. Jester was the first on his ship and he waited patiently as his men slowly trickled back on the ship. Petra saw Vulture makes his way aboard the ship. The wheel of fate is now moving.
 
Vulture worked hard the first week to remain undetected. His crew mates kept giving him glares and he would only reply with “Wait.” Things weren’t so rough the first week with only about 4 ships plundered. Vulture made sure not to show off to maintain the illusion of being just a simple wannabe pirate. At the end of the first week Vulture started making his move. He spoke to the conspirators one on one and made sure no one could hear them. He gathered information from them and started thinking of a plan. One thing stuck out to him the most. One of the conspirators mentions a prisoner who was once part of the crew. Vulture could use this man to his advantage. He inquired about who and where this man once. He was stationed below deck and was put in charge of cleaning.
 
Vulture made his way below deck and met with him. “So I heard you’re a prisoner of this ship?”
 
“What’s it to you, asshole?”
 
“No need for harsh comments. I’m merely here to offer you a chance at redemption.”
 
The man’s eyes grew wide. “I’m listening.”
 
Vulture smile. “Me and a fairly large group of men are planning on taking over this ship. You know this ship pretty well since you clean it. Join us and we can offer you a chance at freedom and revenge.”
 
“If it gets that rat bastard off the helm then I’m willing to help.” The man reached over and shook Vultures hand.
 
Vulture and his men planned and then finally got a plan down. They all met very late at night. “Now here is what I have planned. We strike at night and we first have to make sure the rest of the crew are either subdues of dead. That's the biggest thing. At the same time some of us have to sabotage the engines so we don’t go anywhere. It’s a very simple plan. We just all have to be quick about it. Let the captain to me. I’ll take care of him.”
 
With all chips in place, the second week came to an end. Vulture made his rounds and made sure to tell everyone to wait until he gave the order. Now all Vulture had to do was wait for the signal from Petra. The Leviathan loomed close enough to the Hyena and Petra kept a watchful eye. “I hope you have everything set. If not, then things are going to get hairy.”
 
Night fell on both ship. Petra edged the Leviathan closer and close but not too close to raise any alarms. She waited for an hour before she gave the signal. A red flare shot into the air and both ships sprung to life. The Leviathan crept forward, ready for anything in case the plan failed. Vulture signaled the men and the ship became a zoo. His men attempted to subdue the rest of the crew. Most succeeded but a fair amount of men were able to break free and raised a sword or a gun against them in defense. All who did found their guts spilled on the deck of the airship. Screams of pain and agony rang out. The sound of gunfire and swords clanging rang out on the deck. Jester ran out to the deck and was met by a ready Vulture. The two exchanged glances and Jester drew his gilded sword. He dove headfirst and a skirmish ensued. Jester’s wild blood crazed sword style was met by Vultures equally powerful fencing style. Jester took much of the offense and every blow that he dished out was parried by Vulture. All Vulture did was parry and dodge. None of Jester’s blows touched Vultures body and he never countered or attacked once. Jester found this very annoying and only got angrier. Much to Jester’s dismay, Vulture wasn't planning on beating Jester in battle. He was merely stalling until the Leviathan arrived.
 
The deck was slick with crimson and innards. Jester and Vulture continued fighting until Petra and her men jumped off the Leviathan and to the Hyena. The deck of the Hyena was filled to the brim with bodies now. Bodies of both the living and deceased. Petra raised her right hand and her men spread out and pointed their guns and swords at any man still standing. Jester and Vulture stopped fighting to look out at the deck. Jester stood still, completely frozen from the fact that he is going to lose. The ship grew silent as everyone tried to grasp what just unfolded. After a few seconds of awkwardness, the silence was broken by Vulture who had taken out his pistol and shot Jester in the thigh. Jester yelled with agony and dropped to the floor. He dropped his sword and started clutching the bullet hole, which now started to spew blood. Petra started making her way across the deck and towards the helm. Jester tried to crawl to reach his sword but Vulture stopped him by stepping on his wound with the heel of his boot. Petra stopped when she saw the sword laying on the ground. She recognized it instantly. Her eyes started to burn and lit up with pure anger. She picked up the sword and drove the blade into Jester’s right shoulder. The blade went clean through and blood starts to well from both the entrance and exit wound. She made sure that it would be a non-lethal wound. She pulled the sword out of his shoulder and kicked him right in the temple. His head sickeningly contorted and he collapsed flat on the floor. His head met the floor with a sickening thud.
 
Petra was about to hit him again but she stopped herself. She wanted him to feel the pain he caused her but she turned away before she could do anything else. She made her way back to her deck and stopped before she was on the Leviathan. “Take him aboard and find something to do with him. Make sure that there would be no way for him to escape. Also, destroy the balloon. Make sure the ship is on the ground and wrecked.”
 
Jester was dragged to the Leviathan, cleaned up, and tied to the bow of the boat. Petra waved her hand and the guns of the Leviathan roared and brought the Hyena down, crew and all. Petra watched as the ship crashed into the sand and listened to the breaking of the metal and the cracking of the wood. She turned the wheel and headed towards her home. She got her prize and now it’s time for judgment of the accused.

Offline Jester Schulz

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Re: To the Horizon and Back: The Grinning Jester of Crimson
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2015, 04:10:54 pm »
From the journal of Miss Petra Brimstone - Age 18
The day had finally come where I caught the monster who killed Sven in cold blood. We were able to cause a mutiny aboard his ship and then take advantage of the moment. There were absolutely no casualties on my ship. I didn’t think that the plan would work and we would have to resort to a fight but Vulture surpassed any expectation that I had. What was even better was that Vulture wounded him with a shot to the thigh. That bastard even had Sven’s sword. How dare he use that sword for his pirating and murder. I drove that sword right through his shoulder. As much as I wanted to run that sword straight through his cold heart, I couldn’t. If only I could have let him bleed out and die on that deck. I only hope that Lord Brimstone will make him pay for what he did, even if he’s not condemned to death. As long he doesn’t go free anything would be good. I hope father will be proud of me. I fulfilled his wishes and brought justice to the man who killed his son and only heir. If only I was lucky enough to be next in line and receive the same treatment Sven did. If I were only an actually daughter to him and not some stray that he took pity on. I only want his acceptance and for him to see me as his daughter. That’s all a girl like me could ever ask for. I’m sure I will win him over when I get back to the city and hand Jester over.  Well until next time, “May Blood be Stronger than Steel”.