//------------------------------// // 91: Jaxler's Chest // Story: My Little Fortress: Dawnpick // by Paaaad //------------------------------// It was a warm summer evening as he climbs up the side of Jaxler's apartment. The crickets could be heard chirping in the grass, while Jaxler's only window gently opens. The grey colt carefully plants himself inside Jaxler's room through the window. He then quietly makes his way to the chest tucked away in the corner. "I'm sure he has some bit of jewelry she'd like..." he whispers. He cautiously pulls out the chest and begins picking the locks. Granite always loved using his lock picks, so much in fact that he referred to them as the "Skeleton Keys." The two key-locks were foals play, but the final lock threw him for a loop. It was a simple lock that had a simple combination for it. Of course Granite had no idea what the combo was. "Maybe it was that date Jaxler engraved in his crossbow..." Suddenly light flooded into the room. "Oh crap." As Jaxler opened the door to his apartment he was shocked to find Granite trying to open his coffer. "GET THE BUCK AWAY FROM THAT!" "Crap, crap crap CRAP!!!" Granite yelled as Jaxler opened the door. Doing what the guard said, he takes multiple steps away from the chest. "Hey Jaxler... how's it going?" Granite says nervously. Jaxler completely ignored Granite and ran as fast as he could to his chest, hoping that Granite hadn't opened it yet. "Granite... I NEED to know if YOU OPENED this chest." "N-n-n-nooo..." Granite stutters. "I got past the two key locks, but couldn't figure out the combo. Is there... like a demon in there or something?" Jaxler sighed and sat down. "Well, there is a demon in there but I doubt it would mess with you, BUT WHY THE BUCK WERE YOU MESSING WITH BY BUCKING CHEST!" "Well you see Jaxler, I totally want to date Friesden, and I figured I would need to give her some form of jewelry and I'm very poor, so I also figured you would have jewelry so I decided to break into your house and check the chest. Understand?" "The only this that I have in this chest that is even closely related to jewelry is a 12 foot long gold chain used for smacking around JACKASSES LIKE YOU." "Why in god's name do you have a golden chain in your chest?" Granite asked. "Are you a sadist? And what the hell else in in there and why is it so important?" "I'm not a sadist and the contents of this chest are a collection of items that I've held on to from before I came to Dawnpick. The reason why it's so important is because there are things in here that I really shouldn't let anypony see without a solid explanation as to why and how I obtained them." "Well then tell how and why you obtained all these items." Granite says as he looks to the chest. Jaxler sighed "Only if you promise not to try to steal from me again" "Okay, I promise not to try to steal from you." Jaxler bends over his chest and spends about a minute putting in all the numbers to the combination lock. Once he opens the chest he stars pulling out a variety of strange things, among them were: more than two dozen foreign daggers, a long spiral horn, two brass-horseshoes, a black leather cloak, and huge golden chain, a granite box, a set of lock picks, a totem, and several strange masterwork wood carvings. "Each one of these items has a story to tell." "I find it funny how there's a granite box and lock picks next to it." Granite comments. "Please tell me about these things and what they mean." "I'll tell you the meaning to any item in here, you just pick which one." "Okay, start with the box I guess..." Jaxler picks up the box. "The contents of this box are by far the most valuable thing in this entire town. When I said there was a demon inside my chest I was not lying for this right here is said demon. I obtained the contents of this box 7 years ago, and it was the last time I ever, erm... redistributed wealth in a less than legal manner. I'm afraid that I cannot tell you what is inside this box, it would be cruel of me to." "Understood, tell me about that chain Jaxler..." Jaxler picked up the golden chain. "This weapon belonged to a diomedian. The bastard was a huge, gnarly toothed, jackass who kept on talking in third person. Now, I ran into the guy a few days after I got my crossbow. the bucktoothed pony used this chain thing like a freaking whip and was planning on smearing me across the ground with it. I could barely dodge his strikes because of the wound i had in my side. Anyway I ended up killing the guy after learning two things. 1: wings can make pretty decent meat shields and 2: crossbows can make half decent hammers. Anyway, I kept his chain out of respect for the guy." "Wow Jaxler, that's awesome! What about the horn over there?" "Well, that horn belonged to an alicorn. It's a relic from my grandfathers service in the alicorn/pegasus wars. Grandfather never told me how he got it, but it probably had something to do with him losing his wings and getting paralyzed below the waist." "Alright then, um... what about those daggers?" "Each one of these daggers belonged to something I killed. Some of them I earned from the badger ponies/diamond dogs I killed here in Dawnpick, while some are from before I came here." Jaxler then picks up a long curved dagger. "This one right here belonged to the badger pony that tried to kidnap you, you can have it if you want." "It belonged to a buffalo, I got this around 12 years ago. I was in a pool hall hustling ponies when this guy walks up. I screwed the guy out of 120 bits before he became aware of the scam. he was so pissed that tried to kill me. He broke about 7 of my ribs and my right foreleg before I was able to get a clean head shoot with my crossbow. Anyway, this totem belonged to him, and I kept it out of respect." "Damn, so what about the brass horseshoes and the leather cloak?" "Those along with my crossbow and those lock picks are the tools of my former trade." "Okay, were you a thief or something?" "I wasn't a thief, I was a master thief." "Oh really?" "Yep" "Care to go into detail about your last career?" "Well I got to travel the world. one kingdom to another. I had to flee before anypony knew who I was. In fact, for every place I went I made up a new name. I never knew anyone I just kept on moving. Every day was a gamble on how I was going to earn my next meal. It was disgraceful, demoralizing work. Every bit I stole was at the cost of a little bit of my soul. I lied, I was disloyal, I was harsh, I was greedy and I was lucky to be forced to leave my profession." "That sounds like a sad life, I hope I never have to change my name or get forced out of my home. Hey Jaxler, if you don't mind me asking, what was your real name?" "I've honestly forgotten it." "Okay then, so what about those wood carvings?" "I stole those wood carvings from somepony about 18 years ago. I kept them, because when I was getting them appraised I learned that they were created by somepony I once knew." "Ah, I think that's everything in the chest, well thanks for all the stories, I guess I'll be off!" "Don't forget the dagger." "Don't worry, I won't!" Granite picks up the dagger and exits the building.