I live to please all those solemn, awaiting their death, being assigned to work as a jester or clown. Or a bringer of bad luck, for those who have lost their will to live in dungeons, not by choice of course, these poor saps brought it upon themselves. To put it simply I was hired so people wouldn't forfeit their public execution. Ruining the show for everyone else, in our kingdom, we love to watch them plead away for mercy, begging for forgiveness, saying it's unfair to do this. Then by public choice, how they die is decided with an anticlimactic way, pieces of paper put into a box, ruffled up to the brim, and drawing a piece out. Announcing to the crowd and to the ones who would have to bear with the pain or torture, following through whatever action it is. Be it burning like a witch in the olden days or stabbing a spike through the bottom up. I hate watching it, the glory in it, I don't see it, my mother thought I was weird for that ever since I was little, I rather not watch instead. The only way to get out of watching it was to ask the very king of our kingdom for a very special job, pleasing them instead, right before their death. He was bewildered but all I had to say was, "I wish for everyone to get to watch the show, every show, I heard many of them are taking their lives before the show even starts. I wish to bring them in a better mood so we the people and you of course can watch more shows of such glory." With that I was immediately sent down here, even though what I said was a lie, many people thank me just for that. Saying along the lines, thanks to you I get to watch those poor saps croak more. Makes me sick to the stomach every time I hear that, why does our kingdom love to see this?
I've been doing this for two years by now, watching them all go and accept their death, in gruesome ways I will not lie. At least many people died knowing that their wishes were completed or what I could do for them. There is very little I can do down here, it's like I'm forever stuck down here like them. Locked away in endless torture watching those I made friends with, be put to death, its my own fault for making friends down here, but what else is a clown to do? All I have is many different balls to juggle. I even have cards for games, I have everything down here, on top of that, three rooms were given to me. One for my personal hygiene, a bedroom, and a room to store all the things I would need for the job. Which the room has gotten quite full over the years, many of those who have come down here wish for things to make something, so someone out there would see it and at least remember them. I can't understand it entirely after all, an idea like that is not present in our kingdom. One of the prisoners asked me, don't you get stuff after your parents die here, you know like a family heirloom? I questioned that, after all everything goes to the king after someone dies, they looked at me and stayed silent for the rest of their time down there. Only speaking when their public execution was around, saying I was the poor sap, locked down here with all of them. I'm not sure if it's good or bad but I know that when I'm down here, I can live how I want, mostly, sometimes guards come down to watch me do tricks. Ask me how I'm doing, thanking me for my service, then leaving to do their jobs, happens from time to time.
All of this continued day after day, until one special prisoner came down, thrown away into the corner cell, far away from all the others. It was my first time seeing a person like this, you could tell they were not from around here, we must have gone to war with a far away kingdom, or something. Who in the right mind would want to come here willingly on a visit?
I passed their cell daily going from my room to the other prisoners, but I was slowly making my way there, after entertaining all the others. I stopped in front of their cell, blood was coating itself, hardening over their skin, with scars taking up a portion of their body, or what I could see. Their muscles have waned from being down here with barely any food, but you can see them, still there, you can also say they match up to our warriors. So buff they can hardly sit in a normal chair, many places had to replace half their chairs with a special chair made in our kingdom just for them. It's quite surprising to see a foreigner with such physics, taking a seat just before the bars, I called out to him. "How bout some cards my friend?" He looked at me like he would grab my collar and slam my head against the bars killing me, but instead of that happening he simply got up. Walked over and sat down, "Your name?" He said to me and stared at me for a few seconds before I responded, "The names Bes, a clown, here to please you all." I held my hand out, and gave him a good shake, "Jandamarra. Call me Jandamarra." "Pleased to meet you, my new friend." After that we played cards, he taught me a game, cribbage or crib for short, the goal being 31 points or trying to get there, making the crib, flipping cards. We talked about many things that came and went, his battles, my tricks, but between the two, his battles were a lot more interesting. He led an army to battle, played many roles in the war between his people and our kingdom, "Shouldn't you hate me then Jandamarra?" After all I come from the very kingdom that killed his people, he looked at me, stared me straight into the eye, and continued playing crib. "To me you look like one of us rather than one of them." I looked up at him, "You know a man not too long ago also said that, I guess at this point it would be true but I'm down here by choice." He didn't look at me after that or well barely made eye contact, he kept looking away or around rather looking directly at me.
We played a few more rounds of cribbage, he didn't talk just like that one man, hopefully his ending is not the same as the other. Or well he doesn't get a bad one, like one that allows him to die more peacefully than others would be nice. "Bes if you lived somewhere else, let's say a few kingdoms away from here would you still do this type of job?" I immediately froze in place, then continued playing, "Hmmm I think I would be a baker instead, or something similar." He placed down some cards, "Well if you ever get a chance make me something will you?" I guess Jandamarra was done with playing cards after that, he didn't touch them, just sat there and stared waiting for my answer. I cleaned the cards up and got up, "That's some wishful thinking my friend, but of course I'll make anything, after all I'll be the best baker there is, that's the least I can do for you." Giving him a smile then heading for my corridor, I'm not sure what his face looked like after saying that, but I hope it gave him some comfort in the end.
Taking a stop by the bathroom, then hitting the hay sack, like the farmers like to say, sleeping like a graceful bird, waking from the morning dew. Or water dripping from the ceiling, getting up rubbing my head dry then getting ready to entertain all of them again. Walking out right away the first person I see is Jandamarra in his cell, "How are you doing? Well I hope?" No movement came from the cell, I banged on the bars, "Are ya alive Jandamarra?" Finally movement, stretching then looking at me, "sleeping." Getting up, walking over, stopping right in front of the bars, "Did you sleep well?" "Slept like a swan, gracefully." Right as I said that a few men came down, coming closer and closer to us I thought for a second, is it his time to go already? In the end though they opened a cell right next to his and pulled the person out.
They kicked and screamed in an unfruitful manner, getting dragged away and out of the dungeon, "Poor sap it seems will be hearing the horn for the games soon." Sitting down in front of his cell, "Should we play more card games today? Or would you like to do something else?" "I'm not sure." I pushed my hand through the bars and hit his knee, "well I believe you'll figure it out soon my friend." He looked displeased when I did that and sighed, finally the horn to call everyone for the show played its role, being loud, it shook the entire dungeon to its core. Jandamarra ended up grabbing the bars, and looking at me with a look of confusion. "First time? We have an overly large horn that plays every time a person is being executed or about to be." His face said everything that I needed to know fear and disgust. "Depending on how long you're down here you'll get used to it soon. Happens everyday these days." "Savages." All I could do was pat him on the shoulder, I stayed with him for a few short moments talking about the execution, I told him everything he would need to know about it. The education style, how it's done, his mood turned sour after hearing it was public for everyone and children had to watch. I feel the same, the very first time I got to watch it, I ran off puking my guts out right in the middle of it.
I told him I have to check up on everyone else he nodded and I walked away checking every cell for any cold bodies, two rock cold bodies were found. I had to drag them out of their cells and throw them into a pile near the door. Many of the prisoners went close to the bars saying prayers for the ones who were lost.
"Rest in peace my brothers."
"May those who love you are safe."
"May the gods accept your soul."
"We will remember you."
Everyone said a prayer for them, even I hoped that they went peacefully rather than in pain of death gripping them every last second of their breath. I walked past every single one of them, standing in front of Jandamarra cell, sitting back down, until I felt a hand on my shoulder. "It was not your fault they chose this ending for themselves." I grabbed his hand, "I still can't get over this sappy stuff even though I've been down here for so long." "That's normal where I come from, you know?" A small fit of laughter broke out, normal, if only that norm followed into our kingdom. "Is the place you come from still around? If it is, I believe I would want to visit it." Letting go of my shoulder he chuckled, "the last intel I got, it was all safe and sound so I believe you'll have a chance one day." That's good to hear, "let's go together then yea?" He stopped in his tracks, after all what I said was blasphemy or well I would be beheaded if I said that in front of anyone else. "Watch your words. I do not wish to see blood spilled today." "Don't worry no one's here right now, look it's just you and the rest of the prisoners and me. Nothing to worry about." He seemed a little bit stressed still but what I said was true. I do wish that both of us could visit his home town, the place he came from. It sounds like a dream come true, shaking his head, "you best watch your head Bes." He grabbed my cards away from me and started shuffling them, "Let's play war today, if you win we'll go with your idea, but if I win you have to become the best baker out there." I looked at him to see if he was serious, he was grinning from one ear to the other. "Sounds fair to me, I'll take it." He shuffled the cards and gave me half of them, looking me right in the eyes. The first round went as he won I lost, the second round went as I won he lost, the third round went as I won he lost, this continued for hours. I'm not even entirely sure how long we were at it, but it came close many times. I lost he won, he lost I won, we fought over and over, then at the final last war, I won. Winning the entire deck and taking the deck back to the rightful owner, "It seems I have lost, so how are we going to win our way out of here?" "I have my way brother, I have my ways."
With that I got up and walked up and out of the dungeon, making my way to the person who held all the keys for the dungeon cell doors. Opening the door up, "How are you doing old Man?" "Well I'll be damned, the clown is here! Got a trick to show me today?" "No no not at all instead I wish to ask a favor." I sat right next to him in an open chair, "You want to know about a very nice deal I just got?" He leaned in, "What is it boy?" I got into a whispering tone, "Some high ranking person wants that newly brought person down there and they're paying a hefty sum for it, so what do you say? I'll cut you a cut if you want to make it easier for them." The old man's eyes shot up, then pulled me in closer, "How much would I be getting?" "Hmm let's see, more than your entire pay." He slid the key towards me with a wide smile, "You do good boy, make sure to put a good word for me." I took the keys, nodded and moved away back towards the dungeon, what I'm about to do is treason in the finest. It's my time to finally leave this wretched place, to find a better home I could rest in, a place where I would be normal amongst everyone else. Opening the door to the dungeon and walking just a few steps back into the main part, going forward, towards the door that will unlock my fate. Clicking open the door, "you're free to go, Jandamarra." The big man that sat on the floor in front of me looked at me with an excited look, getting up in a ruff fashion, "I'll never forget this Bes, thank you." He gave me a very warm smile, "Well then lets stop wasting time here and get going, I can't wait to see the place you come from." We both took the long way out of the dungeon, a certain passage that should have never been known, a place I only learned about after getting the king drunk one time over dinner. We exited into the back side of the capital. Where it was less lively, making our way to the outer brim, hitching a ride on a carriage heading close to his home town far north.
The carriage ride was long, we starved a little and hunted together. I even learned a new language on the way. We were just two more towns left we had to pass through, taking a stop in a small little village on the way, there was talk about how a kingdom fell again just recently. I looked over towards Jandamarra, he didn't seem bothered at all by the news. Instead he pushed me along saying, "It's not worth the listen, once where there I'll introduce you to everyone." Our journey to his home town continued right after that, pushing past the second to last village without a stop. Then came the last village, and my biggest worry, a sword was pointed at me right when we entered the village. "So is this the scum that helped you Jandamarra? He looks as easy as a sunny side up clown." Turns out I was truly a clown. The person I put my hopes into looked away saying sorry to me, "I'm sorry Bes. It was nice to know you. I wish we could have met at a better place and time." He walked away from me far away, as my head hit the floor he never looked behind him, not to watch as my head flew across the sky landing on the cold ground that I thought would bring me warmth. Was I only a clown to you Jandamarra?