Jarvis left Dantei's Upgrade shop filled with knowledge and 20 extra gold for bringing more metal than requested. Jarvis was also given a map of the country of Opida. Beyond the trees, to the north of Tor Town, was an abandoned warehouse. Maybe it could be suited as a home for Jarvis and Tybalt. Might as well head over there, if nothing else he may learn something new.
It took a couple days to walk all the way to the warehouse. Jarvis had to stop by Tor Town to pick up food for the journey. During the journey to the abandoned warehouse he saw Tor's forest. The enormous tree was even bigger than he last saw it back at the hill. Its truly a miracle and a wonder figuring out how did it get so big. It was 2 hours past noon and the shadow casting from the giant tree covered Jarvis and Tybalt! Jarvis was a mile away from the edge of the forest!
When they got to the warehouse, it was dusty, rotting, and ancient. the gravel surrounding the still-standing warehouse stops the grass from growing anywhere near it. Pieces of its dark wood walls fell apart easily. It was definitely a hazard to live in.
So, Jarvis went in the warehouse anyway. Light shined from the holes of the wooden ceiling showing how barren the warehouse was. The stairway to the other levels were broken and spliting. Near the center was a rug. The dust surrounding the floor doesnt match with the rug as if it was recently moved. Tybalt was curious at this situation. So, Tybalt pushed the rug and rolled it over a bit to reveal a trap door leading to the basement.
Jarvis equipped his hand cannon just to be ready. Slowly opening the door, nothing came out. Only darkness revealed itself under the floorboards. Tybalt glowed a light from its mouth and shined it on the basement. It was a hallway going downward deeper into ground. Jarvis slowly walked down, holding Tybalt as one would hold a flashlight and a gun at the same time; pointing the gun forward and having Tybalt stand on his arm while using his other arm as a support under his gun arm.
Tybalt held onto Jarvis as they descend deeper until they reached the floor. There was a hallway with wooden braces. The same kind of braces you would find in a mining shaft. there was nothing behind Jarvis and no being in front of him either. The light reflected back a door up ahead. Slowly, Jarvis walked closer to the door. He took a deep breath before barging in the other side.
Clowns. Not just one either. 4 clowns in full makeup were playing a game of poker, except replace the gambling chips with bags of snack chips. All 4 clowns raised their hands in the air as a sign of surrender. This was an awkward situation.
"Uh Sir, we dont mean no harm." A clown with a full red afro, red nose, a face with raised drawn eyebrows, painted red smile, giant red shoes and a orange with yellow polkadot bib overalls laughed nervously as sweat was running down his painted face. Jarvis lowered his gun a little bit. "W-what are you guys doing?" Jarvis questioned. The clowns glanced at each other before another clown, a midget with baby clothes, a painted red nose with black outlined eyes with a teardrop forming, orange rosy cheeks, Size 10 men's baby shoes and a rainbow afro but the afro is cut in half in a horizontal area, responded: "We are playing poker... W-would you like to join?" The clowns smiled a full smile in near unison.
Jarvis sighed and pulled up a chair. The clowns sighed deeper than Jarvis and sat back down. "Aww geez, now my face paint is ruined from all that sweatin'!" said a fairly short clown with a mohawk, a rubber nose, a drawn villainous mustache, silver diamonds on the top and bottom of the eyes, with shaved eyebrows, a purple button down shirt and abnormally wide sneakers. "You said it pal" Said the 4th clown wearing a white mascara under black dots above and below the eyes, black lipstick, a small painted red dot on the nose, a white pierrot outfit with black pom poms, one black glove on his left hand and a white glove on the other hand, and black jester shoes with white pom poms on the tips.
One of the clowns started dealing cards to everyone on the table. Jarvis nervously spoke up: "Uhh, I don't actually know how to play poker." A couple of the clowns rose an eyebrow. One was about to make fun of Jarvis for not knowing but tension was still high. "Hey, no worries kid. Pierrot and I, Joker, will show you the ropes." Joker, the clown with the mohawk pointed at Pierrot, the clown with the Pierrot outfit. The other 2 clowns also introduced themselves as Lil' Fool, the midget clown, and Buffoon, the clown with the full red afro. Of course, those were their stage names. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Jarvis and this is my uhh friend, Tybalt." Jarvis smiled.
Buffoon handed Jarvis a bag of potato chips to use as betting chips. "So what brings you to this abandoned warehouse? Business here has ended ten years ago." Lil' Fool asked as he traded 2 cards with the dealer. "I heard this place was abandoned. Well, out of curiosity and out of a need for a home, I thought we'd explore around and maybe make it our home, me and Tybalt." Jarvis then asked about how to play, to which Joker showed him which cards to keep and which cards to drop.
An hour later, Jarvis won and lost some games. He's doing well for his first time, or maybe the clowns are going easy on him. Either way, Jarvis was happy playing with the clowns. The clowns were happy to have something new and interesting in their usual mundane time off of work. Jarvis began to ask questions about the world. Buffoon has the most experience in traveling around the globe. Pierrot was more dumbfounded on how someone of Jarvis' age knows so little of Opida, much less the world.
"Have you lived under a rock your whole life?" Lil' Fool joked. Tybalt was sleeping on a corner of the room. "I wouldnt be surprised if I did. I hardly remember anything of my past. I'm just glad I didn't forget how to speak! ...3 queens" Pierrot gave a pity laugh at hearing what Jarvis said. "Heh 3 aces. Kinda sad to hear friend. Amnesia is a bitch to cure. At best you'll recover some of your memories over time."
"Damn. I got pairs: kings over 3s. Oh by the way Jarvis, have you heard of the story of the wishing pillar?" frowned Buffoon from losing this round. He betted alot of chips in hopes he would get a full house of three kings and two 3s. "And this is why you're called Buffoon, Buffoon. Two 7s. Im glad I didnt bet alot. Also c'mon man! Thats only a children's tale!" Lil' Fool crossed his arms after losing. Jarvis shook his head, "Its possible I've never heard of it or I don't remember. " Jarvis gave his betting 'chips' to Joker, who won the round with a full house of three Jacks and a pair of 7s.
"Well I believe its true." remarked Joker, "The sacred items can be found, its just that no one knows the location of the wishing pillar. Buffoon, you tell the story." Buffoon stood up and took a step away from the table. Buffoon coughed to prepare his voice. As he told the story, he moved his hands to emphasize everything he said to keep Jarvis entertained.
"Ahem. Once upon a time, legends tell of an ancient treasure kept secret by the royal family for generations. The pillar of Destiny, or as the commoners called it: The wishing pillar, was said to grant 2 wishes to whoever was in its sacred room. Though rumors say there was a way for it to grant more wishes but no one knows how. Before the last king of Opida died, the late Oran Elrey, he made it so that you need 4 items to summon the pillar."
At hearing the name Oran Elrey, a nauseating headache befell Jarvis. The name sounds familiar. He briefly remembers someone yelling that name to someone. Suddenly he imagined a symbol. It looked like a wide letter H overlapping a tall letter I but the only connection is in the center. It had the effect of a solar eclipse with light coming from its edges but darkness engulfing the center of the symbol. And as quickly as it appeared in his mind, the headache disappeared.
"A leaf from the sacred tree protected by the elven people, glowing titanium from the hands of the dwarves and lesser dragons, golden sand guarded by worms and wind, and unfrozen water, on the mountain cave of Mt.Golem. Home of the Wintermen. A filled bag or more of each item and a full leaf from the sacred tree needs to be taken to the sacred room of the wishing pillar to summon it. It can be summoned again after 3 years."
Suddenly an alarm rung from Lil' Fool's pocket. "Oh darn. Its time to go. Or else we'll be late." The rest of the clowns realized the time and started preparing to leave: folding the tables and chairs, taking their "winnings," packing up the cards, and locking the door to the underground room once everyone has left the room. Jarvis helped carry the table and Tybalt woke up and got carried by Jarvis on his back. Jarvis was allowed to keep the potato chips he won from the poker game... it wasnt alot and he has less than he started with but he did gain something in the end.
"Well, we are off to overseas, my new gambling friend." Buffoon shook Jarvis' hand. "And thanks for helping us out with the table... Here's something for your troubles." Joker stepped in and handed Jarvis a pack of playing cards. Jarvis was surprised at this. "What? No, it was nothing, I just wanted to help!" Jarvis tried to be modest but Joker insisted, "Oh none of that nonsense! A good deed should get rewarded. Besides they hand these things out like popcorn on a movie theater, so we got plenty of them!" Jarvis doesnt know what popcorn is, much less a movie theater but he pretended like he knew and accepted the gift.
The deck of cards wore a congruous electric blue theme of vines, thorns and isometric flowers. It was a standard deck with red spades and clubs and black diamonds and hearts. There is also 2 pairs of jesters 2 red and 2 black, modeled after the clowns. The red jester card was of Buffoon and Lil' Fool and the black jester card was of Pierrot and Joker. Each card had the signature imprinted of their respected self.
To anyone else, this was the same overpriced deck of cards you'd find in their circus. To Jarvis, this deck was beautiful. "We are headed to Mizec for a year or 2, touring the place." Pierrot told Jarvis. "If you ever hear that the circus is in town, come and find us in the warehouse again sometime. I want to see if you got any better at the game." Jarvis smiled at hearing this. Jarvis and Tybalt waved their goodbyes to the clowns.
Sunset was setting over on the horizon. The giant tree's leaves shined a beautiful velvet red from the last rays of light. You could actually see the shadows of the night slowly taking over. Jarvis thought, The sacred tree of the elves...maybe the giant tree of Tor's forest might be that same sacred tree. "Tomorrow, lets head over to the giant tree. How's that sound to you Tybalt?" Jarvis picked up Tubalt off his back and pointed at the possibility sacred tree. Tybalt nodded to this idea.