Chapter 66: Jester’s First Act
Jason sputtered as he stared at the stump where his right hand used to be, the missing appendage still attached to the mace as they sank into the sand.
A kick to the back sent him falling to his knees. His eyes glossed over as pain overtook his consciousness.
With a thought, Charon ordered the skeleton leader to step around the man and lower himself to a single knee. It raised its sword and held it with both hands, one supporting the flat end of the blade and the other holding the handle.
Taking the offered weapon, Charon held it and studied the sleek, unadorned steel, nodding in approval at the effective simplicity.
"I know you must be in a lot of pain right now, Jason, but I must ask a favor of you."
He leaned down, coming face-to-face with his opponent. Agony coursed through the man’s veins as he gritted his teeth and clutched his forearm.
"When you see Death, tell him Jester says hello."
With a single motion, Charon thrust the sword into Jason’s chest, piercing his heart and killing him on the spot.
As his body collapsed, the skeleton gripped the blade’s handle and yanked it up before raising it in triumph.
The crowd cheered loudly as the announcer declared his victory, the floating disk shooting overhead as he gave closing statements. The sand beneath Charon’s feet began to shift, slowly nudging him to the side of the arena where a small hole had appeared, the stone shifting out of the way to allow him to pass.
Giving the crowd one last bow, he subtly had all of his skeletons approach. He touched each one and absorbed them into his core, the chill of his mana calming him as he grounded his emotions.
’What I did, I did for the presentation of it all. It wasn’t personal, just business. I’ll just do this until I repay the curator for the mask, then I’m done.’