Chapter 67: Clown Guard

Charon jangled his room key before sticking it in the keyhole, giving it a hard twist before popping the door open. Stepping inside, he tossed the Mask of the Jester on the dinner table and opened the fridge to grab a cool drink. Picking plain water, he sipped at the rim and sat on his bed, the tension leaving his shoulders as he exhaled. ’What a day.’ After Wallflower had left, he had been directed out of the Stadia, where he snuck into an alley to remove his relic and place the Warden back in his soul. He was reluctant to part with his first summon, especially as he hadn’t removed him since entering the River Acheron, but he decided it was more important to keep his identity secret. ’Only the gods know what the laws are like around here, or what kind of vengeance the family of slain fighters could seek.’ He leaned back further, feeling the creak of the mattress under his weight. A dull ache had started to form behind his eyes, the stress of everything catching up at once. He let his limbs fall limp, doing his best to ignore the world. Charon took half an hour to relax, a thousand questions bouncing around his mind as he reflected on everything. ’Wallflower, Oliver’s shop, the Stadia, the Orb of Vitriol, the upcoming mission, what the High Elder did to me, and my new ability are all important matters to go over.’ He cracked his neck and let his gaze linger on the ceiling fan, its slow rotation offering no comfort. He was only slightly surprised that his apartment could spare electricity for something so luxurious. ’Annie had said they watched that sort of thing closely after the walls were breached.’ It was hard to imagine what could get through the colossal walls defending the city, not to mention all the guards and Colossus Machines standing just outside. ’Only something equally terrifying could manage such a feat.’ His thoughts turned to his recent adventures, from journeying to the Fort, to the battle for the town, and even his fight in the Stadia. It was a lot for having only arrived in the realm in the past week, and he was certain more would come soon. The only thing he could think to do was take it one step at a time. ’Besides, I have something else to focus on right now.’ After killing Jason, he now had a total of eight souls to summon. Seven Acolytes from the group he and Emerius dealt with at the town, and then his opponent at the Stadia. ’Jason will probably become another infantry, bringing my total to five, but what will the Acolytes become? More of the skeleton lieutenants?’ His leg bounced as he sat upright again, mind already racing with ideas. It was the best he could hope for at this point, so he quickly set to activating his spell. Crossing his legs on the bed, it was not long until his apartment faded, being replaced with the familiar sight of the ocean. Charon took a steadying breath before turning around, his mind flashing back to when he tamed the Zeta Colossus. Only hills of sand and a distant jungle greeted him, and yet he could distinctly envision the hordes of undead standing in rows, waiting for his command. ’It wasn’t real, just a dream.’ Charon had slowly convinced himself that it was an effect of mana deprivation stemming from the colossus. Nothing else made sense. Shambling into view, he saw eight figures join him on the beach. One of them was the one he expected. A basic infantry skeleton with no armor and a simple sword and shield led a small group of far more interesting summons. Five large warriors covered from head to toe in plate armor thundered towards Charon, each carrying a large sword and a rectangular tower shield. They moved in unison as if they were designed to work as a single unit, ready to push together and destroy their enemies. Flanking them were two more skeletons in leather armor, their heads exposed with only a cap to protect them. They held bows, with quivers wrapped around their back, full of pale arrows. An arrow was already knocked on the stringer as they approached. Charon whistled approvingly as he looked his new summons up and down. ’Now this is what I’ve been needing! Some heavy hitters and ranged support! I’m really building an army now, with unique summons for specific purposes.’ It was like lightning had been sent through his veins, reinvigorating his body and snapping his focus back into place. ’This is what I should be doing in the River Acheron; using it as a launching pad for me to become a hero back home. What could be more heroic than leading my own personal army of undead against the Elves, reclaiming the land we have lost, and exacting punishment for their crimes?’ Charon summoned his holo pad and shifted to his summons to learn their names. [Summons] [Current Summons: Warden of the Acheron*, Zeta Colossus*, Skeleton Lieutenant, 4 Skeleton Infantry, 5 Skeleton Defenders, 2 Skeleton Archers] ’Skeleton Defenders and Skeleton Archers. Seems simple enough.’ As one, the Defenders slammed their shields on the ground and interlocked them, creating a wall. The Archers drew their strings back and pointed in the air, loosing their arrows in a show of force. They reached back into their quivers and grabbed fresh arrows. A white glow began to emanate from the top of the arrow holder, a fresh piece of ammunition generating out of thin air. Charon’s eyebrows rose. ’Infinite ammo? That’s pretty broken. I could have them sit in a building and just pick off anyone who enters.’ His plan assumed armor wasn’t involved, but given the number of mages who wore robes in active combat zones, he figured it wouldn’t be an impossible situation. ’That reminds me, do I need to get armor?’ The Warden of the Acheron had served him fine so far, yet Charon was still getting wounded during fights. It may be reduced with time and ranks, but it was a threat he needed to address. ’Some light armor wouldn’t hurt. Just something to wear under the robe, at least until the Warden is a high enough rank to defend me more completely.’ He scratched his chin as he wondered if he could summon something like that. ’It worked with the Warden, but he took an Archmage soul, and I highly doubt I’ll get anything like that for a long time.’ Although he was still uncertain how he earned the first one, he had a theory. ’The High Priest of the Noctis Vrex, Evander, mentioned something about an ancient spirit during my element trial. I think that spirit might be what decided my element for me, and also gave me the Archmage soul to boost my power level.’ It all fit too neatly for it to be a random occurrence. There seemed to be a lot of that going around. Charon constantly felt subtle nudges in specific directions, and there had to be a reason behind it. Nothing ever happened "just because." Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he studied his new warriors some more. The archer’s armor was brown and thin, covering them from the neck down with more padding in vital areas. Charon found it ironic considering they were now skeletons with no vitals to protect, but figured he would rather they have the protection and not need it, than need it and not have it. Their leather caps covered their skulls and the sides of their head, leaving the face open to reveal two glowing orange orbs. Turning to face the Defenders, he grinned, impressed with their size. They had to be at least twice as wide as a normal skeleton, and half a foot taller. Their steel plating was thick, especially around their chests and shoulders. They wore open-faced helmets that had a mask inserted over them, which vaguely looked like the Jester mask he wore. ’Did the spell take inspiration from my relic and imitate it?’ It seemed impossible for the mana to be that intelligent, but the proof was staring him in the eye. Although they were an imperfect copy, the smooth features and thin pressed lips carved where their mouths should be made it hard to argue. Their chests were smooth and unadorned, but their pauldrons had onyx trim to highlight the edges. Similar trim was found on their knee guards and their gauntlets, serving to make the giant warriors more intimidating. The longswords they carried were normal, if a bit plain. The only difference Charon noticed between them and a normal soldier’s was the black metal used on the pommel. ’I wonder what that’s for?’ Their tower shields were slightly bent, making it harder for opponents to land a direct blow. They also had the faint image of a wide grin etched into them, only noticeable from close up. ’Heh, I have Clown Guard now.’ His breath caught, an idea occurring to him, before he chuckled softly. ’That’s exactly what I’m going to call them; my Clown Guard.’