Before the Clown [Jesteria's Story]

Smack! A young girl was sent flying back into a wall with one solid blow to her face. She was about five years old, and the amount of beatings she got was more than an average human would deal with for a life time. Laying there, in her little bubble, the dark haired girl would stare at the wall with a blank expression on her face. A small trickle of blood came down her lips, and a large shadow stepped over her, grabbing her shirt and pulling her up. "What's wrong? Smiiiile. Smiiiiles make the all the pain go away! Isn't that right?!" The voice was harsh and obviously belonged to a man. Soon after, a few more blows were sent into the small girl's face, and then straight into her ribs. After several minutes of getting slammed around, the large shadow seemed to finally have a fill of their fun, tossing her to the ground. As the man left the room, the girl slowly pulled herself against the wall and began to giggle to herself. Those giggles turned into a low laughter. That laughter into a full out hysterical onslaught of laughs and smiles. Suddenly she stopped, as she looked at the blood falling down to her hand. Pressing the palm of her hand into her face, she'd draw a blood soaked smile across her face. If she was always smiling, there would be no pain, right? Even after death, the smile would keep the pain away. She was a little girl, that's what she was taught. She believed it, and so that became her motto for the years to come.

The next day she awoke in a daze. Surprisingly, her wounds weren't as bad as she figured from the night before. Infact, she was bandaged, which she didn't remember before. With a bit of strength, she pushed herself to her feet and stumbled towards the doorway of her room. Usually it was locked, but not this time. It was actually open for once, and she would drag herself to freedom. The isolated home was quiet. They lived in the mountains of an old village. No one ever paid them any mind, and there were no records of them even being alive. The girl lived with her uncle and aunt, as her parents were no where to be found. Her uncle was abusive to herself, and her aunt. Her aunt took her frustration out on the small Larah because that was the only person she had power over. Larah was stuck taking beatings from both of her authorities. She'd complain if she thought life was anything different than this.

As she finally made it to the main room, she found both her guardians pinned to stakes on the wall with their throats slit. At first she didn't know what to do. If she should be happy, or sad. Scared or worried. But for some reason, something in her mind made her face snap into a smile. Made her begin to start giggling and then bursting into a fit of laughter. The shadow watching from the corner of the room would look on in confusion, as the small girl pulled a chair infront of each of her guardians. Pressing her fingers into their necks to gather blood, she'd draw a blood soaked smile on each of their faces. "Smile! All the pain goes away with a smiiiile! Hahah!" The girl continued to laugh as the shadow snuck up behind her, and dealt a clean blow to the back of her head. The girl fell face first into the wall, and then to the ground in a daze, as she watched a masked woman kneel down towards her. Losing consciousness with a smile on her face, Larah Sa'l Ghar fell into a deep sleep.

As the girl awoke, she was greeted by a lean, tall, brown haired woman. Tattoos stretched down from her eyes and came down to wrap around her neck, resembling constricting snakes. Larah laid out across a bed made of hay, and rubbed her head where she was struck. Her facial expression was bland, with no emotion whatsoever, as her eyes looked up to meet the woman's. Larah kept her mouth shut, as she didn't want to be struck by the woman like she was struck by her guardians. She pulled her knees into her chest and looked to the side, awaiting any form of punishment she was about to take. However, the woman turned and sat by her side, placed an arm on her head. "Little one, there is no need for you to fear me. You're among family here. My name is Kiera Sa'l Ghar. Do you recognize the surname? That is because all Assassins under this band take that name. In our language, it means blood's oath." The woman, named Kiera, would take the small girl by the arm and press her down into the hay. Pinning her, the older woman would hover over the little girl, and Larah would simply look to the side, attempting to avoid eye contact. "I knew your parents before their death. They were assassins. You have warriors blood in your veins, little Larah. It took us awhile to pinpoint where you were, but we found you. Your life is like a spider web, and you're caught in the middle. Do not worry, we're here to help you unleash your potential. The readings said the daughter of two assassins would usher in a new world. Our assassins have only been having sons until you were conceived. It must be you..I'm honored to be in your very presence.' The woman continued to speak, but Larah simply looked away with an emotionless face. Was it really her destiny to follow in her parents foot steps? And were they truly dead like the woman had said. There was no reason for her to trust this woman, but if the woman wanted to do harm to her, she could have a long time ago.

Days turned to months turned to years, and Larah began to see this Band of Assassins as her real family. Over the years she trained in various arts, and as a present for her initiation birthday to become a true assassin, she was presented with a choice. A villager had been stealing crops from his neighbors for months and was finally caught. It was her job to give justice for the people, and to do this she would need to cause the man to shed blood. Without hesitation, she removed her blade and pointed it towards the man. In one clean slice, she hacked away at the criminal until his blood splattered the walls of the prison. The assassins that watched the scene felt oddly squeamish, as the girl gave a maniacal laugh as she cut down the man before her. To make it worst, she took the man's blood and smeared it over her face, drawing a large blood soaked smile. She did the same to the man before her. The madness was just beginning..

As the girl returned to her room, she was greeted by Kiera Sa'l Ghar, sitting upon her bed. The woman was wearing very loose clothing, and sat in a seductive position. At this point in her life, Larah wasn't interested in men nor women. She had grown up in an abusive family for how long? Trusting others wasn't on the agenda. "Hello my Mistress." The girl spoke in a bland tone, as the woman leaned forward and revealed her cleavage. "Remarkable efforts you gave today. I'm here to give you your birthday present. Here, come sit with me." Larah would comply. Removing her weapons first, she'd walk over and sit next to the woman. Kiera would lean towards the girl, placing a finger under her chin and pulling her slightly into an embrace. 'Poor Poor child. You've grown in such a home where you've never been loved. You've probably never been blessed by the touch of another, have you?' The woman's free hand began to slowly drag up the girl's leg, and she only watched with her lifeless gaze. "I have not, my mistress. It never crossed my mind." Larah's feet began to tap violently on the ground, as the older woman began to force herself onto her. One would think Larah would fight back the woman, but she just let it all happen. It wasn't her place to deny the woman that saved her in the past. It all happened so fast, and before she knew it the young Assassin was back on patrol to clear her mind from what had happened earlier that same day.

Nights like this was what it was all about. Lurking the rooftops of Tianlong village and keeping things in order. A woman, wearing the tradition garb of the Plague Assassin, would be kneeling down ontop of a rather large hut, peering out at the night time sky with a gun holstered on her hip and a blade on her back. Covering the lower half of her face was a black mask, only leaving her dark eyes and dark hair revealed. Ever since her initiation into the Band of Assassins, Larah was always told of some great destiny she was to follow. Her parents were killed protecting her, and to make them both proud, she was to take control of the shadows when she came of age. Well, she was in her twenties now, and the older man that had taken control of the Assassins had no sign up giving up his leadership role any time soon. Larah wondered if that was because she was simply not ready to take the role, or if it was because the man wished not to hand it over. Whatever the case, destiny chose her for the role, and it was to be hers if he willed it or not. It was the young Assassin's birthright. She had no qualms with the constant missions she was sent out on, but babysitting rooftops was a waste of her talents. Her brothers and sisters had done so much more in their time. Assassinated tyrants, presidents, and even the Queen. Organized enough to destroy entire underbelly crime syndicates in cities. Even was ambitious enough to poison and destroy a whole city simply to get rid of the criminals plaguing it. Some civilians would get caught in the crossfire, so what? They were needed sacrifices to get rid of the filth that was currently causing the Earth to look so corrupt. Had to break a few eggs to make an omelette was the saying, correct? Well sometimes the whole tray needed to be crushed to send a message.

Quiet footsteps loomed behind the young Assassin, as a dark shadow slowly made its way towards her back side. Before it could even touch her, Larah's gun was pulled out of its holster and kept the barrel pointed over her shoulder and towards the assailant's face. "You should learn how to not drag your feet, if you're going to try and sneak up on someone. Apparently this peace in our small village has made you careless. You'll be killed soon enough on a real mission." The stone faced woman spoke without a hint of emotion, as she spin her gun on her finger and holstered it in a second. Turning around, she would be greeted by a slightly pleasant sight. A blond woman wearing a full face mask and green robes. In her hand was a small switch blade. "You seem to always hear me before I come. Very impressive...You'll have to teach me that one day. Is it some kind of danger sense?" The voice behind the mask was obviously young and held a strong German accent. Larah lifted a hand and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before turning back to her watch. "It was all in the ears. Someone can muffle their feet, sure. Even hide their scent. But on such rough terrain, my ears will pick up the smallest ounce of movement. Now shut up. I see movement." And just like she said, there was movement coming from an innocent man's crops. It seems like a thief was helping himself to the man's carrots and onions. Even the smallest crimes had to have a significant punishment. Larah wouldn't wait to launch off the top of the hut, removing two throwing knives from her belt. The woman in green would stagger for a second before following behind the assassin.

One toss. Two. Larah threw the knives with extreme accuracy, stabbing the thief through his right leg and left palm. This pinned him against the side of a shed, as she whimpered through the dark mask he wore. Landing infront of him, Larah would grasp his mask and rip it off his face, revealing that of a child. This didn't change anything in her facial expression. "You know what you have done, and you know the consequence that comes with it. Judgment will be swift." Her words were like daggers that cut into the very man's soul, as she grasped his neck and forcefully pulled him from the shed, dragging him back towards the mountain side. The woman in green would land by Larah's side with her head tilted slightly. "So you are an executioner?" She asked with no disrespect intended. "No, I am just the hand of judgment. I will bring this criminal before the Assassins and they will judge his life on his actions. If found guilty, his death will personally come from my hands. I will have no regrets ridding the world of a petty thief."

The Assassin spoke without turning her head and giving any sign of regret behind her words. Instead she picked up pace, heading towards the waterfall and crashing her way through it with the man still in hand. The woman in green would stop at the entrance to the mountain side...a frown not visible behind her mask. Larah would be bringing that man to his death. The Assassin's law was strong, and was followed with full belief. The villagers respected them because they kept them safe, but also feared them because any small crime could lead to their death. Was this truly how life was supposed to be? Larah thought so. A world without order fell into chaos. It needed order. The Veil of Blood would be able to give that order thoroughly.


Tossing the man onto the ground, a series of Assassins would begin to cloud around him, as the woman would place her heel onto the center of his spine. "I caught this one trying to steal crops. Apparently he hasn't learned the lesson so many have learned before him. I'm starting to believe our methods need to be known on a global scale. These criminals will never change if we slit throats in the dark of night." The woman spoke with her usual indifferent tone, as she shifted her foot onto the man's spine. Looking up towards the stand above, there would be a man sitting in a chair and looking down on her. His facial features were masked in darkness, and all that could be seen was his keen gaze.

She stood with the group of Assassins. Hands behind her back, and eyes focused forward on the woman putting the man on trial. This woman was an old friend of her parents, and was the first woman to ever touch Larah in...a sexual way. And although Larah showed no reluctance in going along with the woman's wishes, she did feel slightly awkward around her now. To be honest, the Black Rose Assassin had no sexual preferences. No man nor woman had ever caught her attention. No man or woman probably ever would. She was dedicated...No, she was married to her work as an Assassin. She was there to make her parents proud. To live in their shadows and finally over take them. She would be the one to lead the Assassins to glory! That was how it was written in the prophecy, and that was exactly how she planned on taking control. Leading the people to glory to show them a true leader. But doing that would be quite difficult if she remained trapped in the backyards of Tianlong. The village was so isolated from the rest of the world, and with her brother and sisters doing such measures to keep her trapped within the very village, she felt her time would never come to lead the people. Larah was born and raised as an assassin. She was complicit with her current standing among her brothers and sisters. Well, once upon a time. Now all she wished was to unleash them upon the world and bring true justice. Larah only heard rumors, but she had learned of "heroes" that fought crime to keep peace. If they were doing their job right, then there wouldn't be any crime in the big cities now would there be? No. If Larah lead her team and took down an entire city altogether, that would send a message to criminals every where. No one would be safe from the Order of the Black Rose. Little did they know that death...it beget life. The thief, locked away in his small cage, begged for his life as the Order of the Black Rose would begin the trial. He was caught in the act of thievery, so his punishment was to be severe. Death. The woman would give the order for the new recruit to take his life, and Larah would stand in the crowd with narrowed eyes. This new recruit was nothing but a child, compared to her. He slacked, and didn't even have the posture of a true killer. As the boy lifted his blade, he'd hold it up over the thief's head, and the man began to whimper. It was obvious the boy was too weak to get the job done. His arms trembled like he was too weak to even lift the blade. What kind of joke was this?

Larah Sa'l Ghar would take a step forward, and claim the attention of the masses. "This is an embarrassment to watch. This boy does not have what it takes to be within this organization." Stepping forward, beside the boy, with a hand on her blade, Larah would look up towards the woman. "We've been getting softer and softer over the ages. I demand to take control of a small platoon and head to America where my skills will be put to the proper use." Bringing down a mighty swing of her arm, the blade would slice through the man's neck, and appear clean. Suddenly, blood drips and a red tint would soon claim it, as the man's head slowly slid off its neck and to the floor. Swinging her arm, the blood would splatter from her blade to the ground, and she would slowly sheath it. The boy continued to shake, frozen in what appeared to be fear and his own stool. The woman, on the other hand, was looking down towards Larah with an indifferent expression. Well, until a solemn smirk came across her face. "So you wish to finally leave the coop and head into the big city? Larah Sa'l Ghar, these are major wishes you are bringing before you, I'll have you know." The woman folded one leg over the other, as both hands slid upon the armrests of her makeshift throne. Larah's arrogance and impatience was getting the best of her. If she wasn't allowed to go, she would choose to go herself. However, the older woman would raise a hand and allow her pardon. "Very well, Larah Sa'l Ghar. You may take a troop of five men. The city is of your choosing, so you get this whole little thing out of your system. You already know the rules of our little organization. Do not speak our name, or be seen." Larah nodded to the woman and turned sharply, heading straight towards the cave's exit. Pointing to various people, she would raise her hand and ball it into a fist. They'd follow on her order. "It's about damn time."

Bursting through the waterfall that concealed the cave, the Assassin would flip through the air and land on the ground with a thud. Her fellow assassins would follow suit, and each of them would begin to walk through the village of Tianlong. Many people feared them. Who wouldn't? They came in the dead of night and killed any criminal for any act of injustice. Though some cherished them for this. Mostly the victims of the said thieves. Offerings were made almost daily to those of the Black Rose. Larah never accepted any coming her way, however. She believed it was destiny for her to lead the Assassins to glory, and taking riches because of fate was a sin in itself. She couldn't say the same for some of her brothers and sisters. They accepted their riches with open arms, and each of them were marked on her list for extermination when the time came for her to lead. But for now, she'd need to keep her head down and focus on the mission at hand. New York was always seen as a cess pool of crime and drama, and so that'd be the first city on her stop. The first city to fall to the Order of the Black Rose.

The journey within the city was a short lived trip. The Assassins given to her to lead were not there to follow orders, but instead was there to monitor her actions. The first week in New York she made sure to keep tabs on a crime syndicate working the streets at night and distributing a new drug onto the streets. When she attempted to make her first move against the group, and take a life, she was stopped by her own platoon. The denial to do what she wished caused the young Assassin to go into a fit of rage. Within her skull, the incessant sound of a nail against a chalkboard had slowly began to ring her ears. The discomfort from this sound usually forced her to go into a frenzy of headaches until it finally dulled down. Larah wasn't completely sure what it meant, but it usually occurred whenever she wished for something, but was stopped by some type of authority figure. She wrote it off as her body telling her she was annoyed, but it was much more than that. This same ringing occurred to her multiple times when she was a child. During the constant beatings and abuse, the ringing dull her senses and brought her into her own wonderland. A place within her mind where things went her way. There were no rules. No motives. No consequence. It was a world apart that she truly called home. Her real home.


Larah found herself becoming more and more distant from the Band of Assassins. This wasn't because of what had happened between her and the head mistress. No, she was simply starting to disagree with their antics. They only killed under order. They only followed orders and made plans. Plans that did nothing but wasted time. Larah despised them, herself. Infact, she wished to live in a world without plans. She found herself chasing obstacles and reacting at that moment, than actually planning ahead for anything in life. It made her slightly excited, and making a plan seemed to cause things to get boring really fast. Doing things just to do them was always exciting. What's the point of making plans in life if you could make things up and see what happens as it goes along? The more she was with the Assassins, the more she began to despise how they ran things. They saw her as a prodigy and the one who would usher in the new world, but all she wanted to do was watch the world burn. She had no final goals. She didn't do things for a reason. She just did them because she wanted too. Maybe this way of thinking would one day bring her to becoming the Jesteria so many people were cautious of. Was that a part of her prophecy aswell? Becoming a queen of crime and bringing the entire world into a chaotic state of arrested development?

The next morning, training seemed abit more forced. She was sparring her over seeing mentor with the mistress watching over the training. As she fought, something scratched the edge of her brain from within. Like a nail being drug upon a chalkboard, it slowly ate away at her sanity during the training. Before she knew it, she found herself breaking out into a mad laughter during the actual training session. The laughing took her opponent off guard, causing them to slightly lower their defense, allowing her to strike a fatal blow to their heart..numerous times. Her maniacal laughing would permeate throughout the room, as the other spars stopped and watched her stab her mentor repeatedly with a mad smile on her face. Various assassins went to grab and pull her off of his already dead body, but she screamed and struggled against their grip. "NOOO! HE NEEDS A SMILE! HE NEEDS ME TO DRAW A SMILE AND LET THE PAIN GO AWAY! GET OFF ME!!" It was safe to say, this was the last day Larah Sa'l Ghar was a member of the Assassins..but she hadn't become the Jester people loved yet..not yet.

Being cast out from the Assassins, Larah had nowhere to go nor turn. The freedom she had was now overwhelming. What was there to do when you dedicated your life to something to see it all fall apart in a few seconds? She had blood on her hands, literally. Grasping her mask, she'd rip it from her face and throw it to the ground. As she continued to walk, she would throw more articles of clothing that she received from the assassins until she was wearing nothing but the bandages wrapped around her chest and black skin tight pants. Walking to the edge of the mountain where she could see a city off the horizon, the young ex-assassin would begin her track through the wilds. As she made her way towards the city, the young woman threw various knives towards movement in the brush. In the back of her mind she figured the Assassins were trailing her. Ready for her to drop her guard so they could reap her life. The cold embrace of death wasn't anything for her to be afraid of. Infact, she wished for it. The days it took for her to travel through the forest heading to the next source of civilization, she found herself mutilating animals along the way. Not because she was hungry and needed to eat, but because she just wished to do it. There was no reason whatsoever. And as she sat there, on a rotten corpse of an elk, carving into a rabbit, her eyes would widen. When had she gone down this bloodlustful path of hers? Did it reach back when she was a child? Or was it when she claimed her first life at the hands of the Black Rose? One was never born insane. The insanity grew with the skull like an idea. It was like a cancer that grew over time. A ticking time bomb ready to explode at a moment's notice with just a press of a single button. Her insanity wasn't planned, but it was created. Created far before she was aware she had this problem, and far before she could do anything to try and remedy it. Did she regret this? Not at all. Infact, she felt she was finally being true to herself. This madness. This craze she had living within her skull was finally coming out. This was what made her..