Voridam

Chapter 4 : The last laugh.

Cold, dark, heavy, poisonous. these thoughts rushed through the jestray jester's head as he was being drowned. Soon as lights began to fade, he'd jerk his body in a final attempt to shake off his attacker. managing to scratch their leg with his claws. Managing to get them off of him. He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve this, but now he was able to view his assailant, another jestray, another jester. "Alka?" He'd ask confused. "What are you doing!?" "Finishing you off. you don't deserve this Zai." He'd say to the, now soaking, jester. Zaika'Vo, considered the lead entertainer, although the title never existed. He served under the head of entertainment, an Elkren with no name. Many served under 'He of Joy' but none seemed to like it, for he cared not of his employee's joy. Just the audience's. Zaika'Vo was his most prized posession, given to him as a child, He of Joy practically raised Zaika'Vo, teaching him circus tricks, acrobatics, and ways to perform even the most dangerous stunts without being harmed.

Although this favouritism led to some of the circus crew hating Zaika'Vo. Including his best friend, Alkantra. Who had knocked Zai in the back of the head and was trying to drown him a few seconds ago.

"You...you're my friend. Why are you doing this." He'd ask confused.
"For too long, you've worn the crown, it doesn't belong to you. Nor does it belong to that so called king of joy." 'King of joy'. Words that echoed throughout Zai's head. It was a title that sounded fitting for the leader of a circus. 

"I'm ending this, now." Alka would say as he sprinted towards Zai, trying to grab him but missing entirely, allowing the, still recovering, jester to grab onto his former friend's waist. Claws digging deep into the flesh and tearing outwards. Alka letting out a deafening roar. Viscous blue blood spilling out onto the ground. Without hesitation, Alka would grab Zaika'vo and bite town on his arm, tugging violently, clawing at his chest. In a display of barbaric rage, he ripped Zaika'Vo's left arm off entirely. The disarmed jestray letting out a cry of pain. 

With adrenaline soon kicking in, Zaika'vo rushed Alka. Throwing himself at his assailant and grappling with him on the ground, something much harder with only one arm. Without thinking, he opened his jaws wide and shut them down over the back of Alka's head, a loud, fatal crunch echoes throughout the room, through the halls. It was over....he had just killed someone, his friend..."I'm bleeding...I'm...sorry." He'd mutter through blood soaked lips as he got up, limping to go find He of Joy.

Barging into the room, the disarmed jestray collapsed. When asked what happened he put on his entertaining voice and weakly said "follow the trail" letting out a dry chuckle before blacking out. When He of Joy and a few of the crew followed the trail, they found Alka. Somehow they knew he was the attacker. But many could not forget the sight of parts of his head missing.

When Zaika'Vo awoke he was on a bed...comfort, warmth...hollow...cold...empty...moving? These words echoed in his head. He'd often mutter what he was feeling when he wasn't performing on stage. All the years of entertaining had made him lose his link with reality. The muttering merely kept him...well, him. As he was slowly carted down the street, on a bed of fur. Entering the medical region, he could hear technology pulsing. People talking. And he could see. The cardinal himself. "Hello...my names Karst, I'm going to help you here with something new." He'd tell the bed bound jestray. "I...k-know you...thank you" Zaika'vo would whisper softly. Blacking out once more as he was injected with a numbing agent.

Comfort, warmth, numbness...not alone. When he awoke, in the facility's robe. He looked into the mirror...it wasn't a nightmare...he lost his arm. Although all the pain he felt was gone. Sitting, in the corner of the room. Was Karst, without his helmet. "Morning...How you feeling." He'd ask the patient, kicking over a large case, across the floor. Getting up, he'd walk over to Zaika'Vo. Looking into his eyes. Making sure he at least, looked all right.

"As I'm sure you've heard, I am a very corrupt individual. I have all the others in my pocket. Including your boss. I owe'd him for a favour he did me a while back. Now I'm repaying it." He'd bring up the case and open it. Inside was a cybernetic, prosthetic arm. Bearing three fingers as opposed to Zaika'Vo's original 5. "It's custom built, to your size and strength. It also extends and it's very flexible, should be good for your shows. But most of all. It's comfortable... Come on, robe off." He'd help with the left side, seeing as without an arm, it would have been quite awkward.

Admiring the jestray's naked form for a moment Karst would chuckle slightly before lifting up the arm and helping attatch it, it was held by a ball and socket joint, and a strap over the shoulder. A small device was placed on Zaika'Vo's head, just above the ear, the device wasn't obvious or harmful, but it allowed him to control the arm. "Take it slow, don't want to do too much." Karst would whisper as he helped get the robe back on Zaika'Vo. 

When testing the arm. Zai found it's movements very comfortable. Using the extending feature to grab Karst's helmet from across the room. "Wow...thank you...this is great." He'd say to the Arachinol. Shaking hands with him and going to get his outfit back.

The facility had washed his clothes, but they could not replace the missing fabric for his arm. Seemingly he was not too bothered by the loss of his arm. At least not to the outside. Inside he was crying, screaming, sobbing, the loss of a limb was something he never expected in life. And this replacement was so far, a constant reminder of his loss. As he walked down the streets, his limp almost entirely gone. He got back to the circus, showing He of Joy the new arm. A look of disappointment washing over him. "It's not pretty, it's not fun, it doesn't look right." He'd list off. Soon pointing out. "I should be furious at you Zai, you killed my best dancer, second best acrobat, and second best entertainer. But...he attacked you first...and you've lost enough this week." He'd lazily pat the jester on the back. Getting back to organising the next show. It was clear he was thinking something. And Zai knew his job, his life, was on the line here.

As the show began, that night. The performers rushed out. One, by one. two, by two. three, by five. "Gather round, gather round, come one, come all." He'd call out to the audience. "I am Zaika'Vo, the jester of joy. The fool of fun. The prince of party." He'd chuckle slightly. Using his new arm to reach up to one of the trapeze ropes and pulling himself up, the spotlights following him as he laughed. Launching himself up to the top of the trapeze stand. Where all could hear his voice. When he was entertaining, Zaika'Vo learned to leave behind all pain, all thought, all misery.

He'd hold his new arm up for all to see, without the sleeve it was on full display. "How ya like my new toy? It usually cost an arm and a leg, but I got it half price." A simple joke, got quite the laugh from the audience. He'd dive down, grabbing the trapeze rope once more and gliding across the outside of the ring. reaching down with his normal hand to high five people as he swung past. Soon landing in the middle with a slight tumble, playing it off as purposeful by striking a pose on the floor. "Our first performance this evening is a fan favourite. The brothers of bright, the fruits of flame. The Altrano twins!" He'd call out as two garrotol males rode by on barrels. Each one with a cape of flame which opened up to become wings. Science and party tricks. "Don't try this at home folks, they are professionals...I think." He'd smile and leave the stage temporarily. The second he was out of sight he broke down in exhaustion. Everything he supressed hitting him at once.

"Up you fool" He of Joy commanded. "Why...it's pointless. I know what you're going to do." Zai would mutter. Once someone was no longer useful to the circus, they were "kicked out" although Zai knew the truth. While he never learned what He of Joy did. He knew from Karst that it wasn't good. And Zai knew that when someone was kicked out of the circus, they were killed. Covered up. Forgotten. A fate that Zai did not want, but he knew was inevitable. "Well if you do well tonight, it will be quick." He of Joy replied.

After a successful show, Zai awaited He of Joy, sitting in a dark room, like a kitchen. The blood of so many others staining the tables, the walls. The knives and cleavers all bloody and rusted. Pictures of all the others on the walls. Their bodies cut up, dissected...plated?! They had been eating the former crew! Now Zai knew he would not accept this fate. He would not be reduced to a simple meal. Or so he thought. That thought immediately vanished once He of Joy entered the room. "I will do anything to preserve this business Zai, you did good out there, so I'll make this quick." He grabbed a cleaver and raised it high. Thrusting it down...

Cold...dark...empty...alive? Zai opened his eyes. His new hand had stopped the blade. It had protected him. Without hesitation, that sensation from fighting Alka had returned. He jumped up and cast the blade aside, With a single punch from the robotic arm he beheaded the elkren of joy. Grabbing his head before his form could regenerate and repeating the bite that killed Alka. Having to do it several times. Each time wittling a little bit more of the elkren's power away. until eventually there was none left. A deafening crack echoes throughout the room as his jaws penetrated the mask...He had done it...he had done the impossible. He had killed, an elkren.

He'd walk out the room, slowly moving to the crew. Getting their attention. "Joy has died...I did not think it possible." He'd say in his entertainer voice, hiding the shock, the fear, the joy. "I am to take his place, as the ringmaster. And I'll treat you all better than he ever did." He'd salute with his new arm. Giving the Voridian salute. Left arm, to left shoulder, right arm to left shoulder. Getting a salute back from the crew. "We'll keep the show down for a while. I imagine you all want to mourn him...or just relax." He'd chuckle. "I have a lot of paperwork to do."