An Uncertain Journey - Pt. 1

[The Narrator]

Jack McCarthy  stood at the edge of an abyss, the last warden remaining to hold the line against the darkness threatening to spread across the land.  His armor was battered and scuffed, his blade slick with the blood of inhuman beasts.  Behind him lay the golden haired princess, unmoving after having been struck down by the claws of a of one of the hideous creatures that had swarmed the small group of heroes.  She still lived, though that was all Jack could tell under the dim light of the cavern and waves of hideous, mystical creations.  His only hope was to finish the task at hand, keeping the darkness at bay long enough to tend to her.

The shadows in front of Jack seemed to shift and morph before his very eyes.  The flickering light of a nearby torch illuminated just enough of the towering, scaled beast that formed to send a chill running down the young man's spine.  A low hiss escaped, feeling as though it came from within Jack's own soul, rather than emanating from the multi-headed serpent that was creeping closer.  Forked tongues flicked, tracking the human standing in the creature's way.  The beast, sensing a meal, lunged forward, deadly fangs bared as it struck with terrifying quickness.

[Jack McCarthy]

“Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit” Jack hissed repeatedly over and over again under his breath the massive blade shaking ever so slightly in his head. Seriously who thought it was a good idea to give him a blade. Why would they do that?! Why would anyone anywhere trust him with anything remotely of importance? Did he look like he was confidence? Did it seem like for any period of time that he knew what he was doing?! Because if so someone had evidently been seriously misleading..


Jack head twitched towards the abyss, then back to the approching darkness in front of him, his eyes bulging out of his head “Ok, this is fine. This is fine” he muttered vorcalizing his thoughts as they flew into his brain “Just certain death behind me and certain death right in front of me. It’s cool. It’s fine. Everything’s ok. Totally fine. Fine.fine.fine.fine.fine.fine.fine.fine fine.IF ANYONE IS ALIVE NOW WOULD BE AN AMAZINGLY CONVENIENTTIME TO LET ME KNOW!” Jack shouted out hoping beyond hope that someone. ANYONE would respond “Preferably someone seven feet tall! And blood lusting! Or someone who can teach me how to use this word in the next two minutes?! ANYONE?! ANYONE AT ALL?! NO?! OK. FINE” Jack shouted as he jumped up and down in place hoping to work out all the considerable nerves out of his system as the giant snake creeped closer “No, no,no. Don’t do that. Don’t come any closer! I MEAN IT. I can fair guess how to use this thing! I CAN SCREAM REALLY LOUD! YOU DON’T WANT ME TO SCREAM! BECAUSE I WILL. I’M NOT AFRAID TO SCREAM. YOU’RE GOING TO GET SUCH A BAD HEADACHE! He shouuted out. Before he knew it the snake was on him and he was curled up in a ball screaming “OH GOD PLEASE DON’T KILL ME I HAVE SO MUCH TO GIVE!

[The Narrator]

The great, black beast rose, stretching up out of the dim, flickering torchlight with another hiss that pierced into Jack's very bones.  Huge fangs dripping a deadly venom glistened in the darkness.  The young man's fearful wails were met with no mercy or remorse, rather the creature lunged forward with alarming speed, maws open with insatiable, murderous intent.

"Jack..."

"Jack..."

"Hey, Jack!  Ya stupid wanker!"

Jack snapped awake to find himself very much alive, in one piece and not alone.  The sun was just barely peeking out over the horizon, casting a pale glow across the Commons where Jack lived.  The last vestiges of the night's stars could be seen through the cracked and crumbled roof of the building Jack had taken refuge in for the evening.  The young man crouched beside him was Terry, an occasional thief and fellow street urchin.  He wasn't so much a friend as a tentative ally.  Friends didn't come easy on the streets even though Terry was among the more lively denizens that called the Commons home.  He had a wild accent and a swath of brown hair that was always a mess.

"Oy, Jack."  Terry reached over and gave Jack a bit of a slap on the cheek.  "What's that there?"  He asked, pointing to the small leather pouch that was resting on Jack's bedroll.  It looked finely crafted with a soft, velvet feeling cord tied around a small slip of rolled up parchment.  That Terry hadn't taken the pouch without asking only added to the curiosity.

[Jack McCarthy]

So it turns out Jack wasn’t dying. Hooray and such. Jack eyes flew open his eyes adjusting to reality his eyes wide and fearful darting every possible way the screaming dying in his throat, he sat bolt upright in his bed his fingers prodding his face trying his damnedest to see if there were any real bite marks of damage there, when he felt there everything was in place he gave out a loud sigh of relief “Oh thank God, still pretty” he said creaking his neck


Eventually, Jack noticed the presence of someone else there as his eyes settled on the gloom,for several awkward seconds he blinked in silent contemplation, the gears groaning in his head regarding Terry “Oh, Hey………”


“........”


Jack continued to stare at Terry his hands flailing frowning in frustration trying to force the flow of info in his brain to help him out a little here. Come on he knew this “MaaaaarRichhJammmYooou? You Hey you! He said with a parody of a smile, pretending he actually remembered who he is before his attention was brought to the strange pouch at the foot of his bed “I don’t know but it’s mine! BACK OFF” He shouted out as he snapped forward and scopped up the pouch examining it and shaking it before his eyes fell on the note

[The Narrator]

"Easy, there!" Terry said, scooting back a bit at Jack's insistence. The young man raised his hands in a showing of being nonthreatening. He gave Jack a grin that plainly read as knowing the pouch could have easily been stolen if Terry had chosen to do so. As it stood, the urchin was more curious than anything. Pouches of this nature didn't often find their way to the Commons and when they did, even the most incompetent of thieves knew better than to leave it resting at the foot of their makeshift beds.

"What's it say?" Terry leaned forward, craning his neck a bit to try and get a peek at the pouch's contents as well as the note itself, even though the dark haired young man could scarcely read.

Within the pouch Jack found a handful of coin. It wasn't enough to set him up for life by any means, but it would put hot food in his belly for at least week and there would still be enough left over for a fresh set of clothes and some durable shoes. The note itself was written in an ornate, sweeping style. There was no chance it was penned by any of the denizens of the Commons.

'You have the Guild's attention. After sunset go to the back of the Lazy Drake and ask for Horace to be given a parcel. Leave the parcel at the gate of the Orland estate. Once your task is complete you will receive the remainder of your payment. Don't let us down, we're watching.'

'The Silent Keeper'

[Jack McCarthy]

“NO, I WON’T BE EASY THERE!” Jack screamed out suddenly rounding on Terry getting WAY too intense WAY too fast “AND I WON’T TAKE IT EASY HERE. EITHER. I CAN GO HARD ANYWAY I WANT. OH, IT’S OK FOR YOU ISN’T IT?! TO JUST COME IN HERE AND WALK ALL OVER ME. ITS ALWAYS ABOUT ME. ME. ME. ISN’T IT. JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE BURN WITH FLIPPERS INSTEAD OF FEET YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER THEN ME?! FECK OFF SKIPPY.” Jack screamed as his shaking hands worked on the bag and note as a whole.


As first Jack wasn’t aware what was falling in his hand, his brain simply couldn't deal with so much money in one place especially when that place happens to be in his hand. Jack stared them collecting in his hands before he grabbed a particular piece of gold and biting into it lightly just to check how real this mini fortunate was….


His throbbing teeth were all the proof he needed was to confirm this was actually happening. “This is gold.” He muttered to himself as his hands started to shake “HOLY SHIT THIS IS REAL GOLD!” he said jumping up and down in excitement. He was so excited that his fingers trembled against the note as he read over and over again. It could have said to kill a man and Jack would have done it happily….


...then his eyes shifted to Terry beside him paranoidly


….And he began to try and eat the note

[The Narrator]

The other street urchin recoiled from the yelling and flailing but didn't leave just yet. This sort of response wasn't uncommon for Jack and the curiosity surrounding the strange parcel was just too much to let go of. Instead, Terry scooted back and watched as Jack undid the cord on the pouch. Eyes widened at the unmistakable glint of gold falling from the leather and into open hands. Jack was so overjoyed that, certainly he wouldn't miss the single coin that tumbled from his hand and fell into his bed roll. That was the piece that Terry slyly reached out and snatched while Jack was jumping up and down.

"If you want to keep it you shouldn't let everyone know you got it." Terry pointed out as he shrunk back to his crouch and watched. A brow quirked at Jack's sudden paranoid expression. Terry's head tilted curiously once Jack started stuffing the parchment into his mouth. "What'd you do, Jack?" Terry asked, eyeing the other street rat warily. "Did you kill someone?"

[Jack McCarthy]

You know funny enough, this wasn’t the first time Jack had seen fit to eat paper. When one had very little in the way of actual food So Jack thought it was prudent to sometimes eat things, hat may or may not classify as fun, grass. Paper. Mud in Jack’s less than dignified moments. And while eating paper wasn’t exactly a pleasant sensation in anyway shape or form but it was mildly feeling at least and that’s all Jack wanted sometimes . Anything to sedate the dull ache of pain that so often he had to contend with. So really this was going down a lot more easy than you’d expect.


Jack looked back over his shoulder with a scrap of paper still in his mouth which he spit out quickly before trying to hide the remains of the paper


“NOTHING. IT SAID NOTHING. THIS NEVER HAPPENED. NONE OF THIS HAPPENED. NO I DON’T HAVE PAPER OR MONEY. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! WHY ARE YOU ACTING CRAZY?! NOTHING STRANGE IS HAPPENING. STOP ASKING ME!