As she changed, Ty noticed the feather on her dresser. To be such a simple thing, it was beautiful. Her eyes read over the astounding writing and she couldn't help but smile gently. 'From CeCi? This means I really need to thank her.' Ty kept the feather on her dresser, planning to put it somewhere safer later. Maybe she'd keep deciding to keep it on her person.

"Ty? Are you there? It's Eikki..."

Well that was odd. It wasn't often she received visitors after her performances. The elemental normally didn't even stay to get bombarded with praise from the crowd. She tended to get uneasy around the many unfamiliar faces, so when the lights went out, she disappeared. Even so, the young woman kept her composure through it all.

Ty adjusted her red shirt, straightening out the few wrinkles. Unlike the rest of the beautiful women at the Carnival, she dressed a lot more casual than the others. Sometimes, sweatpants and a regular shirt was just in her mood. There were times she dressed her upmost best, even wearing a dress on occasions. The air elemental began to walk out, but remembered her feet were bare. She quickly put on her slip on shoes and walked out of her dressing room and into the tent where the familiar voice called. "Well it's nice to see you again Eikki. What brings you here?" Ty offered a sincere smile as she greeted him. Out of the many in the carnival, Eikki seemed to disappear a lot. She occasionally wondered where he disappeared to, but decided not to question it. There were a lot of things she didn't question.

With a disheartened look hidden in her eyes, she spoke up. "I'm guessing I missed your performance. A shame, I did want to see the sea life you had. I'm sure it was wonderful as always." She folded her arms under her chest and then tilted her head some. It dawned on her that the certain merman hadn't been in the meeting only a few hours before. Why had she noticed the one absence out of the twelve missing was beyond her. If it was noticed, the air elemental spoke a little more with people she considered friends rather than the ones she mutually respected. Ty started to say something about the meeting, but went silent again. It appeared that her greeting and small comment was the maximum she could voice before she believed she was speaking a little too much. Rambling was one thing she really hated.

Ty would wait for his response before allowing her another moment to regain a set number of words she would be able to say once again. "Also... I couldn't help but notice your absence at the meeting." Subconsciously, her hand went up to tug the silver ribbon in her hair. It didn't loosen, but the gesture did release the bow that had once been there to leave it as a simple tie. The two strands were now flowing with her hair in the gentle breeze she created around her. "It was urgent." Ty decided to explain in short what happened. "Mr. Seil spoke of 12 people going missing. What we thought to be impossible has happened. Those 12 disappeared without a trace- all having their contract to the WishMaster." Another important piece of information she gave was, "There has been no noted pattern. Everyone is at risk. This is why Rosalina has been kept locked away during Carnival hours."

Talking about the crimes made Ty a little more cautious. She looked around the empty tent seeing no one around. There were a few normal travelers exploring the Carnival, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. "The meeting had a heavy air... It was made clear to keep a watchful eye and report anything suspicious to Mr. Seil." Again, Ty silenced. She assumed she had spoken enough of the meeting, giving him the basics, and enough to keep him aware.

As the blue eyed girl appeared from the darkness of her tent, Eikki could not help but notice her clothing: not fancy, not beautiful, yet it gave her a relaxed look, and he could not understand, at first, how that looked so damn attractive to him. However, being a man of few emotions, he hid very well the ones that were spurring inside of him. Not quite the butterflies, but...the feeling of looking across a mountain to see a field of blue roses. To awake to something beautiful. He could not deny he felt the same thing whenever he looked at Rosalina's face, and the blond merman had no shame at all in admiting to himself he was a sucker for anything beautiful.

As the soft words came out of her mouth, Eikki's eyes were staring at the two blue abysses that were hers. He had to gather some willpower to not get lost in her words, staring so deeply in her eyes he quickly realized he was probably making her uncomfortable. As she finished, Eikki bowed his head softly to her compliment about his show, and replied:"Thank you, Ty. Fret not, tomorrow there shall be another one...i too, feel sad about missing yours. It's...inspiring.", doing his best to not make his pause too long before finding a word that would not make her feel uneasy about him.

"Also...i couldn't help but notice your absence in the meeting"

Oh, that surely caught him by surprise. He could read it in her eyes, she had already grown used to the fact he was one of the least consistent members of the carnival, yet her words, telling him she had actualy noticed his absence, hit him in a young, hidden and soft part of his being he had not been prepared to defend at that point;with such words, almost anyone would have triggered that emotional reaction in him, but, as said before, things tended to take a turn for the unfortunate around him, and a deep, unavoidable sigh formed in his lungs, coming out exasperatingly as he directed his eyes to the ground with a soft smile, almost hidden by his mustache, then back to her, ready to reply, pushing air back to his lungs so he could do so.

As he looked back at her, that soft breeze that always seem to sorround her was made present, softly moving the ribbon on her hair, letting a few strands move freely to the wind's taste. A refreshing breath of that magical wind his Eikki, very softly, causing a chill to move across the hair on his face. Had he begun to talk right then, he would certainly stutter more than was socialy acceptable for someone sane, but thank Ea, the elemental girl began talking again, and a true, sincere smile of relief shone on his face as he heard her words, to be quickly replaced by a worried expression, filled with anxiety.

12...missing? But how? in his 85 years in that place, not once had Boss lost control over a single soul he had bound. How formidable was an opponent that could steal souls and labor from the most powerful demon Eikki had ever encoutered? he would be frightened to have Reficul Seil as his enemy, but he had just found out someone as powerful, maybe even more, was now put in that exact spot.

Rosalina locked away. No pattern to be found. Seil asking everyone to keep their eyes open. Something was terribly, terribly wrong, and Eikki had a feeling the matter was more serious than Boss let out to be. His attention, once turned to Ty's beautiful blue eyes and her soft, yet ravishing smile, was now turned completely inwards: he HAD to go talk to Mr. Seil as soon as possible. Guilt hit him like a crushing wave: he shoulda been there. After a long silence, he turned his eyes back to the girl, staring again deep into the two shining sapphires with a very troubled look in his eyes. "Thank you, kid. I should have been there. Poor Grog might have been scolded because of my irresponsible self." he said. The gentle giant had been tasked with calling Eikki, and since the merman hadn't shown up, Boss had been probably furious with the not-so-bright bouncer.

"I need to go talk to Boss right away. Thank you, so much, for putting me up to speed, Ty. I owe you one." he said, and bowed deeply, courteosly, to the air elemental. After rising back up, with one last deep look into her eyes, and a farewell smile, not leaving any space in the conversation for the girl to reply him, or even say goodbye (he TRULY hoped he would not regret his lack of etiquette later), he turned around and left her tent, as quickly and suddenly as he appeared, once again immersed deeply in his turmoiled thoughts as he made his way to the Wish Master's quarters.

A bright spot at the corner of his eye caught his attention, and the image he saw when turning his head to face it was mesmerizing. A hole in the sky, perfectly circular, bathed a huge patch of land in a bright, soft glow that looked light sunlight. "But...it's...it's well past 6...how can this be?" he said to himself, but decided to not spend any more time in trying to figure it all out. With quick and determined steps, he was on his way once again. If anyone had answers, that someone was Reficul Seil.

Arriving at Boss' office, the merfolk knocked thrice, in quick sucession, and his voice, tinged with a bit of worry and regret, called out. "Boss? boss, are you here? it's Eikki, i need an audience with you right away. Mr Reficul?". He waited anxiously for an answer, and, fleet-footed as he was, Eikki was ready to leave if he conclued his master was not there. He rose a thought to Rosalina. "Poor creature...locked away as such. Her beauty should never be locked away...yet you know how Boss is, aye, Eikki? and you know he would probably cut out that spiny tongue of yours if this thoughts were to ever leave your throat."

A chill crawled up his spine, almost putting the blond fishguy on edge.

Roll up, roll up, cherries and all!
Welcome, welcome to De’ Seil Carnival!
Where you’ll see tricks, magnificent tricks none have seen before
You will partake in games and promise we do, that they are not rigged.
You’ll kiss a princess – and a true princess she is
You’ll be told the future and indeed it is precise
You may even have you inner most desired wish granted by our Wish Master
And if you’re very lucky, you may even see a true, living, breathing, dancing angel from the heavens.
So come, come, come in and play with us
For all are welcome at De’ Seil Carnival.

*************

Nate held his father’s hand as they bought their tickets to the carnival. He was almost bouncing in place. This was the most entertaining thing they had done in many years, for so long they had stayed home the atmosphere in the house growing dourer and dourer over time. It had been several days since he was even out of the house. He had been spending more and more time at his mother’s bedside, reading and talking to her. He wasn’t normally a melancholy person, but being in a sickhouse all day, everyday had begun to wear on him in ways he didn’t even realize.

It looked like his head was on a swivel as he turned this way and that trying to see everything at once. Hawkers called here and there, the great sign above the entrance glimmered in the growing dark, and the smells of all the delightful carnival foods filled the air. He tried to keep his excitement contained but he was wanting to do everything at once.

“Lets go see the magic show dad” he said standing on tip toe looking for a sign to tell him where to go. There had to be a magic show. There were always magic shows at carnivals. He loved magic, he practiced it all the time. Well all the time when he had free time which hadn’t been much recently.

He began to drag his father towards the center of the carnival.

Nalia, sixteen and beyond the childish behaviors of holding a parent’s hand. She walked just far enough away from her father to still be “cool.” She couldn’t help herself smiling as she saw how happy Nate was. He had been very withdrawn lately, more so than usual. This was obviously just what he needed. Without thinking she slipped over to Nate’s other side, a smile on her face as she walked with him.

Her father, on the other hand, she mostly ignored. She had grown to hate him. All teenagers hated their parents but in an occasional brief moment of self awareness she realized she hated him for other things. For his ignoring them. For his obsession with doting on their mother to the extent of ignoring everything. For his treating Nate like a servant boy and not a son.

She had grown close to her brother since their mother’s illness. No one else seemed to care about him and he was often picked on by locals. She was the only one who cared about that and stood up for him.

Her steps were light now as she stuffed her hands in her jacket and trotted along with Nate and her father. Tonight at least the worries were a thing of the past and she could see wonders and excitement that would even make a “cool” sixteen year old girl put aside her angst and enjoy herself.

“No” she said lightly to her brother, knowing she was just arguing for the sake of form. He knew it too and he grinned impishly at her. “You wanna see the acrobats right?” he said taking a wild guess. He knew his sister. She loved dancing, gymnastics, figure skating, and basically anything along those lines. Before their mother got so sick she had been able to take gymnastic classes and Nalia had loved it. Everything except the recitals—she didn’t like performing for others.

Nalia nodded but tousled her brothers hair.

“We can go to the magic show if you want brat” she said lightly and her father glanced sternly at her. He opened his mouth to say something but Nate interrupted him.

“Naw” he said lightly and grabbed Nalia’s hand with his free one. “Lets go see the girly stuff. C’mon dad!” He had spotted the tent and the banner advertising Ty’s act. It looked exciting, almost as exciting as a magic show. He wouldn’t ever admit that to his sister though.

********

Nalia sat in the bleachers, everything around her forgotten as she watched Ty’s graceful movements. The girl was beautiful, stunning, and her movements looked so natural. Nalia was amazed, stunned, and thoroughly enraptured.

She clapped vigorously with the others in the area at every chance and she held her breath each time it looked like Ty might fall. She wouldn’t stand out, every little girl wanted to be an acrobat at one point in their life. Of course she was older than most, her dream of being a great acrobat had never died, despite the fact that any time she was forced to perform in public she came close to vomiting and always always screwed something up.

At the end of the performance Nalia was one of the first to spring up, clapping vigorously when Ty’s performance was over. She was startled when she felt Nate grip her hand again and looked down at her brother. She didn’t have to look far, he was getting tall fast, but for now she could still claim the big sister thing and look down on him. His eyes too were sparkly with wonder and he grinned at her.

“Pretty wasn’t she” he said softly. “You look like her Lia”

He never realized the impact those words had on his sister, to him Ty was like Nalia in that both were graceful and beautiful. Beyond that the similarities ended, but Nalia was his sister and he admired her greatly. As he admired Ty’s performance. It was almost magical in itself.

*************

Nate got to pick the next act they went to. This entire time their father had remained silent, his thoughts far away, and he seemed not to take any enjoyment from the show. Nate never noticed and even Nalia stopped noticing after a time, there was so much to see and do she almost forgot how miserable things had been at home.

Nate drug them, though both Nalia and her father only protested as a show, towards a “fire act.”

Nalia didn’t know what to expect; the small person who jumped up on stage surprised her. She didn’t look older than Nalia. But soon Nalia found herself laughing as Red performed. She didn’t bother to try and figure out how the girl performed her tricks, she assumed it was like her brother’s tricks and sleight of hand and other things. An act but one that was so flawlessly performed that she was drawn into the excitement effortlessly. She had never seen anything like it.

When the girl finished Nate jumped up and down clapping vigorously.

“Did you see Lia? She wasn’t much older than me. Think I could do that? Dad can I buy fire swallowing stuff?” They didn’t stay but Nate talked non stop about becoming a fire eater as they left. In fact it was more talking than he had done in ages, Nalia was quite surprised. Her father on the other hand didn’t even notice.

He was thinking of something quite different, a rumor he had heard. It couldn’t be true. It was impossible. But this was Azure and he learned long ago that there were many improbably things but few impossible things here.

“Take this” he said shoving some money at Nalia “And go play some games or see another show. I want to go talk to someone.”

Nalia stared at her father, he never just gave them money. She didn’t have time to ask anything before he disappeared.

*****

The children’s father tromped off seeking the answer to the rumor he had heard. It couldn’t be true, but he had to try. He had never given up hope but without magical intervention his wife would surely die and he would have no one left.

He never even considered his children, it had been so long since he had even felt as if they were part of his family. Today had been different, he had almost felt the same wonder they had, but only almost. The shadow over his head was too strong for their life and love to break through. So he found his way to Mr. Seil.

***

Nate and Nalia wandered for a time, they used the money to play a few games. They never won anything, but it was fun and they enjoyed all the life bubbling around them. The last of their money they spent on treats, cakes and roasted popcorn, and they munched happily as they walked.

Soon they realized that their father was still absent, having truly vanished and they began to search for him. Nalia was unconcerned, her father was a bit of a moron and would likely be found in some stupid place. Nate on the other hand was growing desperate.

It was pure chance that they spotted him, standing outside one of the best tents in the place. Nate ran up to his father who immediately smiled and reached down to pat him on the head. Nate saw nothing wrong with that. Nalia caught the gleam in the man’s eye and was immediately suspicious.

“Nalia wait here” said the man “I need to introduce Nate to someone.”

Nalia frowned and was about to protest but Nate was ushered inside. Less than a moment later the father exited the tent and looked to the girl.

“I apprenticed Nate to the carnival master. Come on we are going home.”

Nalia stood, stunned, as her father walked off.

Apprenticed Nate?? she thought then she raced after her father who was walking faster than she’d ever seen him.

She caught up with him enough to catch his mutterings.

“cant be true. Have to try. Can she be well? Must get home. My darling wife.”

Nalia didn’t put it together, what the hell had the man done?!?!? She had always felt a bit of hate towards him but now it came crashing down. He had sold his son. Not into slavery perhaps but this was bad enough. How dare he??

With the temper of a small she-cat she confronted her father. It was loud, angry, and she didn’t give the man a chance to speak. Just cussed him out, called him the foulest names she could think of, and said she was not his daughter anymore. Then she spun gracefully on a heel and stormed back towards the carnival. She had to find her brother.

***

In the dark tent Nate stood there looking at the man he had just been contracted to. He was afraid. More so than he had ever been. But the man had asked him if he wanted to save his mother.

Nate would do anything to save his mother and said so. That had been the end of it. Before Nate had time to blink his life had been signed into servitude. It wasn’t until his father had left, and Mr. Seil began to explain just what he had been contracted into that Nate realized the full impact of what had happened.

His mother would life, her illness was healed even now, but Nate was trapped. Bound to a contract to destroy others in order to save himself. He had never even imagined such a thing was possible but if it would save his mother…he swallowed hard and ran out of the tent.

****
Nate nearly knocked over Nalia as she was coming back to camp. He took one look at his sister, spotting the telltale signs of anger in her eyes, and the fact that his father was not with her and knew the truth. His father hadn’t had a single regret, Nate didn’t either, not really but still it would have been nice to know the man cared.

He wrapped his arms about his sister and hugged her for all he was worth, burying his face in her jacket.

“Mom’s better now Lia” he said softly, voice muffled. “He made mom better. But I gotta stay here. It’s bad Lia. Really bad. But mom will be ok. Tell her I love her and miss her and will think of her every day.”

Nalia held her brother as she trembled with anger. She didn’t realize what the contract entailed but she was furious at the man would bind a child. Both men actually. She held her father and Mr. Seil equally at fault. So what if her mother’s illness were cured, didn’t they care enough that Nate was still just a child?

She had to take care of her brother however and she knew what that meant.

“I’m not leaving you Nate” she said softly disengaging him. “I’m gonna stick with you no matter what.”

“You can’t stay Lia” he said softly “I got a contract and everything. It’s magic Lia. He healed mom with magic. But I gotta stay.”

“If you stay I stay” she said simply. “I’ll go talk to whoever is in charge. Stay here Nate. Wait for me.”

Nate nodded and looked around at the place that was now to be his home. Where before it was delightful and filled with wonder now it was dark, dirty and struck fear in his heart. Everything had changed, forever. He would never be as he was. He knew that now as deeply as he knew his name and that his mother was well.

It is worth it. It is worth it he kept telling himself over and over as he stood looking for a friendly face, any friendly face, in the darkness. All he saw were happy loving families, delighted children, and busy carnival workers. How could such a place ever be home, how could he ever be a part of it.

****

Nalia stormed into Mr. Seil’s tent spitting piss and vinegar. She was furious and she vented her rage. But she was not in there long. She knew what she had to do to remain her brother’s protector and she didn’t hesitate when the quill was slid her way.

Nalia Armstrong she signed with an angry flourish. There now she was bound too.

She left the tent and joined her brother and they headed off to find out what to do next. Nalia shed a couple tears, but her grip on her brother never loosened and she didn’t bother to shrug them off. “There now” she said to him, her voice firm. “Now I get to stay with you.”

“Roll up, roll up, cherubs and imps
The fine and the buff
The beauty and the beasts
For here tonight we gather!
The circus, the carnival be in town
Buy your tickets to see our clowns
Giggles and cheers will soon begin
Oh laughter and tears thou shall soon be in
If thou yearns for a charming smile
Oh here you shall see
Only thy with such exquisitee
None can enthral like I
Not only your ladies but also thy serpent
For within this glass case does rest
A being of such malicious intent
Poisonous, oh my yes?
Does it slide and slither along the ground
Without a single sound
For only does a hiss escape its lips
A snake, a snake, a snake”

None knew how to attract a crowd parallel to Andracos Soleviel – for his theatrics were grand, his movements and voice alluring and his desire strong. True he was to his word of ‘charming his snake’ that evening. For in the mood was he to brand the souls of many.
The platform in which Andracos stood, elevated him above the gathered crowd and permitted him an easy view. His presence was so eccentric and exultant all couldn’t help but be fascinated by him. Andracos was born to act, to perform, to entertain. Some required a flick of a switch to be such a performer, but within Andracos it flowed through him daily. It was such an ease to allure and spellbind his audience for it was apart of him; his siren blood. But majority would never see the demon that lurks beneath the siren. For even though many presumed his self-control was limited, in true fact is was quite the opposite. There was never a time in which Andracos was never in control of himself – he was always aware of every word, every action, every emotion. His lust for the ultra-violent came down to one thing, he relished it and so he acted on it. However at present time, he is not acting on his demon blood, but rather his siren red, thus we shall look upon him as such. Forget what you know, forget the rumours, forget the sinister side that lurks within him, and see only the siren that was born to entertain and amuse.

There was a sizeable crowd before him, as per usual and he amused and delighted them with ever such ease. He danced around on stage memorably, twirling his cane impressively. He sent winks and tempting smiles to the ladies of the crowd without a second thought. His strong voice ricochet around the strip he was performing on – and oh how others did loath when Andracos decided to set-up shop within their area for it rendered their jobs that much harder. But Andracos cared not, he merely desired to be the centre of attention and he was.

“Raise hands if thou has bared witness to such a thing
As that of a snake charmer.”

Various mortal hands sprouted into the air, proudly admitting their spectator. Andracos bowed at the crowd before him as he proclaimed,

“Oh eagerness befalls all of you I see”

He rose upright, strikingly twirling his cane as he did so and gesturing for the response to quieten down so he may continue.

“Well now, gallivant it seems many have
Seeking adventures, yes?
Be shy and bashful, no need my dearest droogs
But alas there be something thy humble host must proudly proclaim

Pointing with his cane at the crowd he arrogantly admitted,

“Never have thou that stands before thy
Bared witness to a show such as this
And thy promises,”

He swung he right hand and rested it over his chest, palm on heart, an act of assurance

“And thy Andracos promises such a thing
For none shall walk away unimpressed
Andracos solemnly swears it!
And should even but one be disappointed
Andracos promises to amend as best he can
Right, right?

His right hand left his chest and rose to his ear, awaiting a response from his eager crowd whom applauded, spurred and urged him to continue his show – all keen to see his promise kept. Andracos smiled greatly – the mere thought that he had the power in the current situation pleased him greatly. With grand gesticulation he motioned with his cane to the table behind him in which, placed on top was a long rectangular shape, hidden with emerald green silk material. Still pointing at the table with cane in hand, Andracos tip toed over to it halting half way before turning back to the crowd, lifting an index figure to his lips.

“Hush now
Wish not to stir him mad, do we?
This creature whom slithers and slides,
And strikes with venom”

The crowd quietened down as Andracos tip toed theatrically over to the side of the table and with a smile so grand several ladies hearts melted in the audience, he yanked off the silk cover and revealed the elongated, extraordinary snake that rested within its glass casing.
The snake was a dazzling blue in colour, almost glittering, was a thick as a female’s thigh and several meters long. It had eyes of vibrant, toxic green and one could almost see its venom running through it. Oddly beautiful but undoubtedly lethal. There was much awe, wonder and reverence amongst those watching.

“Do permit thy humble host to familiarize thou to the exquisite Prunella
A serpent of exceedingly exotic birthright.
She is exists parallel to a daughter to thy
And in return thy, her father.
But enough chit chat,
Let me bring about the promise I gave”

Andracos didn’t bother picking Prunella up, she merely did it all herself. Slithering out of the glass and over to Andracos she greeted him animatedly.

“Before she performs
This humble host believes an amendment of clothing is in order
Yes?”

As he pronounced his initiation act his beautiful snake circled around his feet, her scaly blue glitter skin sparkled impressively. Andracos threw his cane onto the table as he mentioned for his snake to uplift herself.

“Up, Prunella, up”

Circled Andracos she did, first his feet, encasing him slowly, as if she would crush him, though never once did Andracos fret. Swiftly Prunellas master lowered his arms to his side as she made her way up his body, circling his hips and soon his chest, halting her head around Andracos’ neck. All the audience could see of their host was the tips of his feet and his head. Comedic like, he waddled back over to the front of the stage, still with the glitter snake entrapping him – he could hardly move.

“Hope, is within all of us, that your host fails not
For he wouldn’t desire to lose his clothes
Awkward that may be”

He shuffled beneath the snake, twitching here and there with a face of concentration. Looking down and back up he proclaimed triumphantly,

“Right, right, right.
Faith that success is upon me
Drop Prunella.”

Instantly the snake fell off Andracos back to the ground, sounding a thud as she hit the stage floor. There was another round of awe amongst the audience as they observed the change of clothes that Andracos wore, followed by a round of applause. Andracos had shifted from his turtle neck shirt and straight black pants to a more carnival themed outfit – a jacket with tails, bright green in colour, a white shirt and bow tie and suitable pants. Carnival host at maximum affect. He bowed at the applaud and once more hushed the audience.

Express gratitude I do, for the commendation
Kept to my promise have thy, yes?
Friends of this mortal realm
Admit to thy Andracos
How many have been bystander,
To creatures whom can gobble and snuffle fire?
Confess do thy, for such grandiose things Prunella can do
Observe in wonder!

The second part of Andracos act, tonight he improvised a fire eating and breathing performance. As always Andracos act was never rehearsed, born a natural actor and entertainer permitted such improvisation. Bowing once more to the crowd with the smile to melt all hearts he followed with ushering Prunella to his stage right. Promptly the striking snake slid to her said position, curling her lengthy body beneath her elegantly and holding her head upright, she awaited her next command. Andracos danced and twirled, bedazzling his gathering and performed a simply magic trick before them. Dancing his empty gloved hands together, several times twisting them in order to appear a single piece of coal within the palm of his hand. He showed it to the crowd, holding it between his right thumb and index finger. He trailed with a single flick of his left thumb and immediately it caught fire. Presenting both the fire and the coal to the mass he lit the coal up in the palm of his right hand with his burning left thumb. It heated, its second nature and reddened with colour – smoke forming within it and rising out through the coals pores. Andracos blew out his lit thumb and began to toss the coal up, down and between his hands so as to stimulate its heat. Once he deemed it the appropriate temperature he spun on his heel to face his serpent.

Gobble, gobble!

He underarmed the coal in the direction of Prunella, whom without hesitation swiped at the proper moment, catching it within her mouth. She forced a giant swallow and the mass could observe the bubble in her throat, and watched it slid down.

Uno! Duo! Tres!

At the end of the count of three Prunella heaved her huge, blue head back, shifted slightly and then heaved her head forward with her mouth wide and ajar. The sight that followed was impressive – parallel to the way a dragon breathes fire, this striking snake hiccupped out the flames stimulated by the coal.

The crowd cheered and applauded at the extraordinary performance and once more Andracos bowed - cutely, in unison as did Prunella.

Noweth comes, final performance
But tis be splendid
I sweareth

Andracos took stage centre and motioned for his snake to come his way as he continued.

A query this host asks
Apparent, just how many snakes and serpents?
Dearest Prunella, exist as oneth dost she?
Or is she… countless?

There was slight confusion amongst the crowd and a sparkle danced in Andracos eyes.

Prunella, darling…

His voice was smooth and this time sly and he grinned broadly at her, matched with a cheeky wink. One could almost see her smirk in return to her master as if they shared some secret others knew not of. She slid around her charmer, circling him multiple times. The crowd stood in silence as they watched this time unknowing as to what would play out before them. Rise up the blue serpent did, extending her length, impressively. She rose to nearly as tall as her host. Though, a mere three seconds past before this one, giant, glittering blue reptile stood high no more and rather broke it seemed into a vast amount of small slithering snakes. Oh it was an extraordinary sight and the audience conveyed their awe and wonder. Countless tiny snakes, varying in shades of blue, green and purple slithered around Andracos. A clap times three stemming from Andracos hands ordered the cluster around him to give him their attention.

Dance shall we?

He spoke down to his babies rather than the mass of people before him whom he could candidly see their aura of elevated emotion seeping out of their skin. Proud he was, that none other carnival folk attempted hoodwink and tried to brand his audience. Dealt with vicious consequence any whom endeavoured.

Up, up, up!
Mimic Sir Andracos

Remarkably the numerous snakes that squirmed around the flooring, grouped together at their masters order and rose up, piling on top of each other – they seemed to be forming a shape of some sorts. After a short amount of time, and to the amazement of the crowd, there stood a created doppelganger of their host, Andracos, crafted entirely from smaller snakes. Outfit and all was mimicked. Colourful, glittering shades of blue, green and purple this doppelganger stood. Andracos mulled over his twin and in return his twin mulled over him. A mirror image of each other - every small gesture, every grand gesture, swift and dawdling was copied. They bowed to each other. They shook hands with each other. They swayed around each other, switching places. This real Andracos and this snake-Andracos performed various mirrored images. They turned to the awed crowd and in perfect unison danced the same dance. Oh how the audience adored what was before them; mesmerized. The real Andracos, added comedy and bid to outdo his clone. Dancing faster and performing grander moves. Nevertheless, no matter how hard he tried, his snake-clone kept up with him. It was then that Andracos admitted defeat, or rather an equal finish.

Alas, I catch that we are of twin
For outdo you thy cannot
But outdo thy, you cannot

They bowed to each other and then bowed in unison to the crowd before them.

Fine and buff, cherubs and imps
Oh how we do hope thou has enjoyed
Regrettably that be the conclusion of this act
Did thou humble host, keep to his promise?
Hurdle down will I
So as to shake the hands of such fine folk
And respond to any inquiry thou may have!
Good day, Good night, cherries and all!
And enjoy, enjoy, enjoy De’ Seil Carnival!


The man was drained, even though he slept not, fatigue befell him. But nevertheless, regardless of the shadow that surrounded the carnival the show must go on. Reficul’s schedule for the evening was full of activity, dissimilar was it. Detest evening that didn’t run smoothly. His attention was required constantly throughout the night and glad he was that the evening was coming to an end.

His initiation into a hectic evening began with his distressed bride. After the meeting Rosalina had exited due to a dissimilar sensation within the air that surround her, it was also the first that she was made aware of the gravity of the current events. After he had escorted her back their quarters she instantaneously shattered. Worry was a part of her, sewn into her through traditional means of female angels, worry not just for herself but others. She had strength but it was suppressed beneath multiple kidnappings, beneath boundless fleshly pain and torturous extraction of power. It was fair to say that the woman had undergone her fair share of harm and violence, always at the hands of others. Never once had she been taught defence or even offence for that was never taught to traditional female angels and it was far too difficult to attempt to sew it into her now.

The happening of her life is what made her so delicate, so feeble but it also made her beautiful in way that stood apart from other female angels. Yes her beacon was grand, she allured danger the way insects where drawn to light – her being the light. Many had proclaimed Mr. Seil to be unwise, foolish, even crazy to stitch such a being to himself, regardless of her positive attributes – but he fell in love with her the moment her saw her and he cared not for the undesirable obstacles it would bring his way. Never once, in all the years that Mr. Seil had stolen her had he lost control of the situation and allowed harm or even potential harm to befall her. He always caught onto any threat before she even became remotely aware it existed. She had always believed herself to be safe with him. Thus the mere idea that he was not in control disturbed her greatly and shook her trust in him seriously.

It had taken some effort from him to calm and tranquil her. He succeeded to influence her into a sleep, without the use of magic. Abhorrent was he to the use of magic on her; despised it. She had pleaded with him to not leave her side however amened that the act was selfish and that he was needed elsewhere. Reficul recommended a concord and promised to continuously check on her throughout the evening. Another part of the concord was that, whilst she slept peacefully Dimuegos would be present alongside her, in his animalistic form – guarding her.

That was the beginning of his evening and in truth he did keep to his promise and had checked on his beloved angel doll several times throughout the carnival open hours and each time, she remained in a motionless state, sleeping with the giant werewolf curled up beside her. After Rosalina’s inkling that fallen angels where the master’s pulling the strings he set out to keep an eye on any that waltzed into the carnival that evening. Albeit they currently resided in the mortal realm it was not uncommon for magical folk to come and see the extravaganza. Smelled out the individual odour of fallen angels and followed several he did.

However to no avail first time around because his following was cut short by a mortal man expressing his knowledge of his genie-like abilities. The Wish Master was being called into action. This mortal man appeared desperate to heal his wife, to bring an end to her deathly illness. Of course Mr. Seil would aid, she could be better if he desired, but like always his wishes came at a price. No omissions, even for mortals. The man was clearly obsessed with his bride and Reficul managed to relate – for he to obsessed over Rosalina.

To Mr. Seil’s surprise the man signed away not his own freedom, but that of his sons – an innocent and timid boy. As a demon Reficul sympathised very little with the needs of others, unless it related to one thing, thus the thought of signing the child in replace of the father worried him not and he agreed. The father did ask for leniency with the number of souls that required collection and amend it the Wish Master did, for he was in no mood for debating.

Shortly the deal was sealed, contract signed, and freedom of the boy delivered to him – he sat in his grand, ostentatious tent that he used during opening hours, with his elbows on his desk and fingertips touching. A look of uncertainty painting his handsome features. Yes he sympathized with very few others, but he contemplated if signing in a child now, was an unwise move. Not in regards of business and not due to the current unnerving events that was taking place, but rather the mere fact that his bride would be displeased with him and that may cause problems in the near future.

His thoughts, however, were halted due to the loud voice of a young girl barging into the bureau clearly upset and quite livid. She cursed at him, oh how she swore and expressed her feelings for the signing away of her dearest brother. Reficul didn’t even flinch as she barged in, as she expressed herself – he merely watched her awaiting her to finish or take a breath. He elucidated her in his demon-like ways, his lack of bother, nonetheless displayed even more leniency in the situation by asking if she wished to be signed into a contract herself, so as to take half of her brothers burden and so as to keep an eye on him. Through fumes and livid smoke she agreed and as swiftly as she had entered she had left.

His second round of stalking began after a speedy eyeball of his bride, whom remained motionless and safe. This time his stalking came with a win, for one in particular fallen angel appeared suspicious. After having followed several dead leads, he had caught onto this male fallen one and had sensed his oddities. His emotion and train of thought followed not the carnival but rather other things. This fallen angel was a tall male with slick blonde hair and vibrant green eyes. His demeanour appeared standard, nothing out of ordinary, but there was something in his eyes that gave him away.

Unfortunately Reficul’s trailing of this said individual was cut short due to Starla running his way and proclaiming that a group of teenage witches and warlocks had revealed the magical truth of the carnival to a large group of mortals – and the mortals where in quite a state. Vivianna was apparently having some trouble subduing the mortals and rectifying the truth that they had become aware of. And Mogue was attempting to catch the brats that had pulled the lark for their amusement. Others of course were aiding in the situation however Starla had thought it best to inform Reficul right away, for it was not a small group of mortals.

The muddle of the evening was taking a toll on him and Reficul had no choice but to go and quieten the mortals and amend their memories as opposed to trail this peculiar male.


Time sped past – people didn’t even realize. Too much excitement flew around – time was fleeting here and no one cared. But soon the crowd died down, for the children needed sleep and as did the adults. The merry-go-round became stationary, rotating no more. The crystal balls where put away. The clowns began taking off their make-up. All performances had ended. The mortals minds where shielded and amended. Prankster witches and warlocks flew away with laughter. Cigarettes were lit. The evening came to a close and Mr. Seil was slightly pleased.

“Well I’m bloody glad the night came to a freakin end,” smoke rose up to Reficuls nostrils as his little dwarf sidekick lit a cigarette, “I didn’t stop all night,” he looked up at his friend, “you look bloody exhausted mate.”

Mr. Seil stood in silence for a moment as he managed to breathe in deeply and relax. Mogue continued,

“Want me call them?” he asked gruffly.

With closed eyes Reficul nodded slightly in affirmative – prompting Mogue to do the clean-up. Mogue rose a little hand to his mouth in a bid to whistle, however was cut short due to a rough, chesty cough – Reficul gazed down at him questioningly. Once the little cancer-struck dwarf had ceased his fit, he, with his index finger and thumb whistled an intricate tune, oddly high in pitch. Once he finished he simply took another inhale of his tobacco.

After a few moments, little gnomes began sprouting from all over the place. They came out from everything - from underneath stages, from underneath stalls, from out of garbage cans, from out of hats, the list was endless. There was literally hundreds of doll sized gnomes running around the carnival grounds. Their job was simply – clean and restore. Little Garbage Gnomes ran around eating and hoarding all the discarded rubbish, whilst Restore Gnomes fixed and amended all that was broken and Scrubbing Gnomes made everything sparkly clean.

Deciding that he had had enough for the evening Mr. Seil expressed, world-weary
“I’m going to go check on Rosalina.”

He didn’t wait for approval from Mogue, he didn’t need it, for he did as he wished and knew that Mogue was more than capable of shutting the carnival up. He spun on his heel and headed in the direction of his quarters.

“Go do a head-count,” he ordered Mogue as he walked away.

Mogue turned, “really? Now?” he asked bad-temperedly.

“Yes,” was all the reply he got.


As Reficul made his way over to his doll he thought it best to send out some requests that he needed tending to. Summoning a feather and some parchment paper he decided he’d send his first letter to the trapeze artist that was Ty. In the letter he explained that he would appreciate her befriending the two new recruits of the evening, and see to it that they find some quarters. Short and simple he kept his requests and he rolled the first letter. He sent it out with the wind for it would find its way to her shortly.

The second letter explained to CeCi, the angel that he required her to see him after slumber time, for if Rosalina was attuned to some dissimilar sensation that surely she was to. And as an angel of defensive mannerisms surely she could give him some more insight for he wished not to distress Rosalina. Once rolled it too, flew away to find its reader.

His third letter was to one of his favourite, Crow in which he ordered her to do a few circling’s of the carnival ground in order to double check security and to see if she picks up any peculiar scents, particularly that of fallen angels. He required her to do that immediately. Her letter shot through the air with much speed.

To Calista, her paranoia permitted her to pick up and all dangers – Mr. Seil needed to know if she caught sight of something that needed reporting. She was to report to any higher officials as soon as possible. He made sure to send Calista letter out slowly so as to not startle her.

‘Go to bed!’, was all Mr. Seil wrote to the little fire-faerie Red for she had a habit taking her time doing so and the last two who had gone missing where both faeries. Her letter flew away with great speed. He made sure it would keep hitting her on the head until she read it.

His sixth request was that of Vol, akin to Crows, however minus security measures. He was directed to make use of his wolverines in order to sniff out any oddities within the area, specifically fallen angels whilst they remained fresh. The final written letter flew away with urgency.

As he began writing a quick note to the merfolk, he observed that is was not required of him. For as Mr. Seil rounded the corner in the direction of his cart, there stood Eikki pounding on his grand oak door.

“Boss? Boss, are you here? It’s Eikki, I need an audience with you right away. Mr. Reficul?”

“Hush,” he ordered gently as he approached the merfolk, “you’ll wake Rosalina.”

Reficul ushered him aside so as to get to his door and with his cane drew three gold circles in the air followed by two blue ones. He then flicked the centre of the circles and the sound of glass shattering reached their ears, though none was physically present. He had broken the seal that protected the cart. Turning to Eikki, he raised an index finger to his lips, gesturing that they must be noiseless as they entered.

Mr. Seil unhurriedly opened the big door and piloted Eikki to follow him. They emerged into a magnificent and lavish seating area. The place clearly enchanted so as to be bigger on the inside.

The fireplace burning and heating the room - making it a comfortable temperature for the delicate angel that slept peacefully on the couch. She was beautiful, breathtaking – her white glow striking and making her even more stunning. Soundlessly Mr. Seil moved over to her, dodging the slumbering werewolf that was Dimuegos. He checked on her, as if checking to see that she was still breathing. Once satisfied he stood upright and motioned for Eikki to follow him into the next room that was his office.



Walking in, he did not sit down, but rather went over to his small bar and poured himself a drink. The scent was strong – oddly strong and it filled the room.

“I take it that this is to do with why you were not present at the meeting,” Reficul stated more than asked as he turned to face Eikki, “would you like a drink?” he wasn’t upset in the slightest, clearly just worn-out.

The man had appeared out of nowhere, from a dark corner, almost as if he was trying to creep up on the merfolk. Eikki was not scared, as much as he was impressed: even after all those years, the man still could catch Eikki off-guard, and if Seil meant him any harm in one of those moments, there was very little the blond guy could to to save his skin...though, on second thought, the idea of just pretending to die of a fatal heart attack all of a sudden didn't seem like something mr. Seil would easily fall for.

"Hush...you'll wake Rosalina." he had said, and Eikki felt something akin to excitation building up, slowly, softly, yet undeniably inside of his heart. Eikki followed the man inside, not at all impressed at the sight that unfolded before him. That amazement that gripped him at the beginning was no longer there, and he walked through the stunningly beautiful living room almost as if it was his own.

A glow caught his attention;it's source was the couch, and there she was, Rosalina. Now that amazement was something the years had not faded out from him. His eyes opened wide, as if trying to take in as much of that light as possible. He stood a couple paces away from his boss, so he could admire her beauty without his gaze falling upon him, though he thought not a fool of mr. Seil. The man had probably grown accustomed to the eyes constantly upon his wife, and his hold over her was so strong he probably did not care anyway.

"This woman could make an army fall at her feet with but a glance..." he thought to himself. Wild images of him and that beautiful lady alone, in a room somewhere safe, filled with light and care and love, assaulted his mind for a split-second. Eikki quickly shook his head and looked away: it was far too easy falling in love for the beauty laying asleep on that couch, in that place filled with darkness, where she was the only bright spot of light; as if showing a way out of it all for the souls who fell under mr. Seil's control.

The eternal beauty of Rosalina blinded Eikki to her slumbering guardian: Dimuegos laid asleep next to the couch, his breathing slow, his mind drowning in what seemed to be a blissful sleep. A soft purr came out of his lips a couple times, and the merfolk wished he could see inside Dimuegos' mind, to gaze upon the bouncer's dreams. It had been so long since Eikki last dreamed; the last time was when he last spoke to Rosalina, a couple months ago. Her soft light filled his soul with calmness that day, and he dreamt of his family, his friends, his love...all lost to him, but yet still in his memory, and oh, how grateful he was that he could still remember them.

Following his employer inside the office, Eikki could not help but notice the man's expression. Tired, exhausted he was. His mind seemed troubled, and after sitting down and acknowledging Boss' question, he stood in silence for several seconds, simply staring at Reficul. A strange sense of care had develop along the years Eikki had been under his command. Yet, he had been questioned, and the question demanded an answer. "Yes, sir, thank you. I accept. And...yes, it is indeed, about the meeting. Ty put me up to speed." he said. The gentle air elemental had saved him from a huge embarassment, indeed she had. Eiki let out a deep sigh and sat back as his boss handed him his drink. The merfolk took a sip of the strong-smelling alcohol, and it went down burning through his throat. Strong it was, yet Eikkin had a passion for strong beverage, and a second big sip was taken before he adressed his employer once more: "Boss...you clearly are tired. I apologize for the inconvinience, but...i came here with a twofold question." he said.

Eikki was undoubtely worried about his punishment for now showing up at the meeting earlier that day. However, upon gazing at Reficul's expression, a more important question arose: was there something he could do to help? his past eighty-five years had been a non-stop repetition of the same rehearsed movements and acts when it came to his role in the carnival, but now, he felt his abilities could be put to better use. He felt he could be helpful somehow. His mentality was changing, and changing fast, and there was not a rational explanation the merfolk could come up with to explain such an event. A glimpse from the past, perhaps...maybe he had been helpful to his family more than he thought. Maybe that was coming back to him. Or maybe it was something completely different that moved him.

"I...came here wondering, yes, about my punishment for not showing up, again. But there's something more important i need to ask you, Boss: is there something, anything i could do? I'm not new to this place, as i have been here for almost a century; i want to know if i can be helpful to you and to the crew, somehow.", he said, doing his best to not stutter. Pouring his feelings out was something he hadn't done ever since his past life, before he lost his memory. Doing that for someone as sinister and powerful as Reficul Seil made it all look even more embarassing. Yet Eikki couldn't contain that urge to help someone who was helping him as well. "I know i haven't been the most...participative member of your crew, mr. Seil. Nor am i the most talented, strong or gifted. Or trusted, for that matter. Yet, if i may, sir, i am sure you are in dire need of help. I saw the beaming light from the sky. I can see the expression in your eyes. If you need my help, i came to tell you that i am at your disposal, Boss.", Eikki said, and took another big sip of his drink. On the outside, the merfolk seemed calm and serene, however emotions were stirring inside of him. Emotions such that the urge for a smoke was gripping his lungs with fingers of hot iron. He took out his pack and brought a cigarette to his lips. Taking out his zippo and aproaching it to the tip of his cancer stick, his gaze directed back at Reficul. "You mind, boss?", the blond merfolk asked, waiting for permission before setting the tip of one of his only vices ablaze.

Ty made a mental note to catch Eikki's performance before, or after her own, depending on how her schedule went. It wouldn't hurt to postpone her performance in order to see the others. Maybe a trip around the carnival had been overdue anyway. She hadn't seen Crow's act with her animals, nor Eikki's performance. Of course, there were other's she would try to see, but of course that wouldn't all happen in a day. The Elemental's eyes went to the ground, and then travelled everywhere but to Eikki's own eyes. She didn't want to stare, so she occupied the small silence by scanning the area. Her arms went up and hugged her sides as she waited.

When he spoke up, her attention turned back to him. "Oh, it's not a problem. It was pretty important." Ty gave a small shrug and started to say something, but the urgency of his lack of attendance had Eikki running off. She gave a soft sigh and simply nodded. Once again, the male disappeared in the carnival. She was used to the disappearances, and his departure only made her move on to her next task. "I guess I'll be off as well." She mumbled and then headed off in the opposite direction. The smell of carnival food interrupted her trek to Celleci. Just like the performances, the food was practically perfect. The scent of fresh cinnamon buns wafted to her nose and Ty glided over to the stand to get one. "Miss Ty. A pleasure seeing you again." The male running the stand smiled and tipped his hat. Ty returned his smile with of her own, without a word to say. "The usual I presume?"

"Of course, of course." The male picked up one of the freshly baked cinnamon buns with clean gloved hands and set it on a napkin. "Here you go ma'am." Ty smiled in thanks and walked off to explore the carnival. The many joyous faces gave such an ironic feeling. They didn't know what went on behind the scenes of the mystical carnival. As she walked, one of the simple minded and oblivious mortals or other creatures would be getting their soul snatched away from them. It was all for a purpose. A few lives for freedom. In the beginning, the air elemental despised the idea of killing innocent people just to achieve her own freedom. All the time, one question would roll through her mind.

'Was it really worth it?'

In her own selfishness, she thought it was- but this was only at times. Other times, she didn't see the purpose. There was always the thought of her family and the past she never spoke on. How did everything she had vanish within seconds? Who would've done something so cruel to a child? The thoughts that followed left a bitter taste where the cinnamon bun had once delighted her tongue. Before the unintentional lugubrious mood settled, she threw her napkin away into the nearest trash bin and thought of a little idea. Entering a more populated area of the carnival where children roam with bright and anticipating eyes, Ty waved her hand slightly for a small gust of wind to urge the children forward. Pretending not to notice curious eyes, Ty played for the children. Onto her hands she flipped, balancing and walking to her stage.

"Oohs" and "Aahs" followed by squeals of excitement raced toward her. "Miss?! Are you apart of the Carnival too?" Performing for them, she did a simple tumble landing on her hands again before gracefully moving her feet to the ground. "Why of course~ I'm here to entertain." She offered them a smile and the children, from the ages of five to ten, all were dazzled by simple tricks. They were tricks she did as a child, easily maneuvered and used for practice or endurance. "Could you teach me?"
"No me!"
"I want to learn how to walk on my hands!"
"Show me how to flip!"
Ty shook her head, clicking her tongue to the top of her mouth. "No one will get to learn anything if all this fuss continues." With it, Ty had obedient children. Their excitement and happiness made it so easy for Ty to brand them as they were, but she decided to give them a show at least. She felt it rude not to at least give them what they wanted before taking something from them.

From the crowd of young bodies, Ty chose three at random. One by one, they were helped onto their hands, somehow balancing on the first try. The oblivious children didn't notice the few gusts of wind pushing them forward and then back to keep their center of balance. The children laughed and cheered with glee. It was all for fun and games and yet business for Ty.

--

Souls were branded that day. Not just children, but men and women alike. It was amazing how humans found even the simplest of things so entertaining. So when the more complex magic happened, no wonder they couldn't contain their emotions. All the while, she still kept a watchful eye amongst the visitors. Just in case one would slip and show their true identity. Just in case on of the crew happened to be in a struggle. Just in case...

There were many times she went on, only to realize she wasn't paying attention to the people around her. It was risky considering how the problem, but in all, she went the day unharmed.
Time sped without her knowing, but when one was so delved into their craft, it would be expected for such. The mortals and other creatures were all drifting toward the exit. It was time to end the fun. By then, Ty was on a small trek to gather souls again. She gave two performances, not including the child's play that happened out on Carnival ground. As she went toward her cart, little gnomes began to appear from everywhere. Just as they always did after opening. What interesting little creatures they were; garbage, restore, and scrub, and repeat until the carnival was clean. And they always got the job done.

In her cart, she gave a deep sigh. It was finally done. Relaxing could take place. After the few hygienic steps were taken, Ty changed into a different set of casual wear, that being a dark blue shirt and once again, sweatpants. The ribbon had been removed from her hair, and was placed in a drawer with countless other ribbons. Her costume was out away, and she sat on her bed. Unlike normal beds, instead of it resting on four legs, sturdy lace similar to the trapeze ribbons held the round bed to the ceiling. The design color of the bed was grey and black, nothing too fancy for her bed. The extremely soft and plush bed was able to rock back and forth gently, making her feel as if she was floating on a cloud. Nothing else was as significant as the bed in the room. The dressers and closet were made of fine wood, but Ty believed the bed held more value because for some reason it brought a remembrance of home.

Glancing over at the dresser, the golden feather caught her attention again. With a wave of her hand, the wind picked up and the feather danced along the breeze onto Ty's lap. She gently held it in her hand and whispered to it. "Thank you CeCi." The air elemental smiled to herself before watching it dance on the gentle breeze she created. The golden feather was remarkable and Ty would make sure to keep it with her. It even gave her an idea for her next theme for her performance. "Purples and golds will do finely." With the idea, Ty would have to speak with the ones who specialized in tailoring. She decided to do so before she forgot, or before the rush for other outfits came through. Upon opening the door, a letter floated toward her. The Wish Master's signature was the first thing that caught her eye. Discovering that it was important, Ty let it fall into her hands.

After reading the simple message thoroughly, Ty nodded to herself. "Two new recruits. If Mr. Seil wants me to befriend them first hand, they must be specializing in my talents." It was nice to think she may have a partner to perform with...that is if these two knew recruits would want to partake in the trapeze. They could've been doing just the floor tricks and flips. The golden feather was kept in hand. When she determined that her pockets were loose enough, she slipped the feather in there as she walked out of her cart, or living space. "I know not what these two look like... But I'm sure it should be quite easy to spot them." And after a few moments, Ty proved herself right.

A young woman who looked a little younger than Ty and a boy who seemed to be related to her were wandering the Carnival. She approached them calmly and friendly- friendly enough for someone who held their emotions, of course not to extents like some of the others there. "Wandering around like lost puppies? I am assuming you two are the new recruits. Well, welcome to the carnival. I'll be helping you get settled, and...being your your guide." She gave a smile, one of those mysterious smiles that she normally gave. It was odd greeting people, or introducing herself to others, but she forced herself to do so.
"I'm Ty by the way."

The audience was startled, frightened murmuring seeping through the crowds of performers as they listened to the Wish Master’s words.”Twelve Souls Lost? How could he lose twelve, when he had never before lost one?” “How much danger are we in? “ “Are we even safe now?” But as the waves of despair washed through the crowd, not a single drop sunk into the mind of the casually leaning Crow. In contrast to the fire-ferret cowering on her shoulders and the mindset of nearly the entire crowd, the girl was not bothered in the least bit.

In fact, underneath the shadow of her thick hair, a small, menacing smile emerged.

Though smaller than most in her current state, the girl had nothing to fear. What this revelation provided was a new means to use her abilities, as the Wish Master was surely going to need her hunting prowess to track and identify this new threat. Few in the carnival were as skilled or as deadly as she.

She felt the wind in her hair as she left the crowded dome, her skin prickling slightly as she re-entered the open air. She identified the figure of Vol, having calmly watched the presentation in a similar state nearby. Nodding with a knowing glance to the wolverines at his feet, she continued on past the frantic workers, the eager performers, the feverish assistants on her way to her tent. She, too, had that calm demeanor, that lack of fear that those beasts internalized within their feral hearts. She, too, had a performance to ready for.

But as her eyes adjusted to the cool, dank air of her tent, the fabric sliding along her arm as the door closed behind her, she found her enclosure to be quite dissimilar from how she had left it. The air was still alive with wild hoots and trills, the aromas of rich soil and vibrant jungle matter wafting into her nose. But the pathway had darkened, the fireflies and magic lights fading away as dancing torches took their place, shadows prevalent among the spears and tribal statues that now littered the borders. The small breaks in the foilage lacked perches for the many colored birds; in fact, the amphethere curled in her clothing burst suddenly from the folds of fabric, diving into the trees to find the cages and carriers disguised through magical means. Instead, larger cages of thick steel bars were hauled in, carrying freaks of nature, the manticores, chimeras, and other fierce beasts usually reserved for the taming shows were placed in plain view of the would be audience, along with other sinister beings that would be described as nothing short of freaks. Crow’s mind raced… it couldn’t be that time now, could it? No, her wildest blood wasn’t due for weeks at worst, and there was no scheduled reason for a change from her norm.

Yet as her eyes pierced through the overwhelming shadows, she found the ivory ember of her “handlers’” eyes glimmering in the inky blackness. Her nose, too, could faintly detect the dusty wisp of raw stone, a smell she should not have been smelling for some time. “Begone, stone-wyrms,” she called out into that vibrant ink, her collected voice betraying a hint of her anger as she stared into those white-amber sparks. “Now is not my time.”

“Ahhhh, but it issssss,” the creatures in voices of grinding slate, the golems emerging from their hiding place. They were two, kin of kin, creatures of the clo00ak of the mountains. It was likely they had come from some portion of Azure, their stone bodies supported by pure magic, seen wavering about their rocky “torsos” and “legs” and “arms,”’ though the features were such a grotesque version of the humanoid figure that these descriptions were merely vague approximations. These appendages, however, were massive, clamping talons, closing like beartraps should they so please. But within these arms were 3 faced stone masks, like the tribal headpieces about her, that conveyed their words and attentions through a pulsing inner light, such items currently focused on her human form.“ There aaaare tooo many tamers out todayyyyy, and ourrrse mastersss want you to provide ssssomethiiiing… a little diffffferent!”

Crow dove as the stone talons burst from their bodies, flying as detached hands to where her body once was. She ducked into a roll, dodging another flying palm as she ducked into the bushes, out of the golem’s immediate vision. With a grace like the wind she passed through vines and trees, her attention barely focused on the foliage as the rocks flew by, by, by.

Her silhouette moved through the trees with feline grace as the earth elementals sucked stone straight from the ground they stood on. But as the creatures prepared their second volley, the shadow amongst shadows began to shift...grow…change…. Her skin prickled as she ran, her hair lengthening, thickening, wrapping about her like a giant cloak. Her feet gripped with more and more intensity, her toes extending and developing thick pads in the rough dirt. Her arms...shoulders...body grew logistically, muscle matter growing as bestial blood flowed through her veins. The darkness cleared as her pupils grew, then dilated, seeing the world about her more clearly, accented by the rich analysis of the natural smells.

The silhouette jumped out of the bushes, tackling the first golem, the forceful assault driving the creature to the ground. Thick claws tore at the stone, ripping apart chunks of the natural armor as the stone giant fought feebly against her overwhelming strength, a pitiful affront to her hunter’s prowess. But her success was interrupted by the impact of a boulder against her side, sending her flying off the golem’s breathren. The stone bits about her began to resonate with each other as she pulled herself to her feet, eyes raging, blood raging, anger raging inside her -- they leapt up, alive, from the ground, slamming into her furred body as she roared with feral intentions. The stone sunk into her fur like slime, fusing together, hindering her movement as the assembled creature clamped those giant appendages about her, her movement halted with a sharp yelp as she hovered, trapped, above the ground. The golems chuffed amongst themselves as they drew their parts back into themselves, those tri-faced masks glimmering with their infernal light. She barked a few times as they led her to the back of the tent, unceremoniously dropping her onto the dark soil as large steel bars lowered from the ceiling -- a net, of sorts, that rendered escape a futile dream.

---

“……Oh but a wonder we have for you today,
Far beyond those freaks of the more normal sort.”

“Are you a coward? Or are you a brave?
Won’t you see the beast we have captured in chains?
How feral, this terror, who once used to roam,
That honed mind of a hunter trapped in this here dome?
Her fur slips into shadows, Her claws, they will smite
Would she have found you before us you’d be gone in a bite!
Won’t you come to see nature in primal delight?
Won’t you come to see nature in primal delight?”

---

From the back of her tent, she could hear the caller inviting humans into this place of shadows, using the lines she had heard him create an hour ago, when he had paced back and forth with a sheet of paper in his left and a pen in his right,mumbling incessantly to himself in an attempt to create the most alluring welcome. And in they came, stalking through her tent, pointing and oohing and ahing at the creatures they found before them. Their stink filled the air, as did their laughs, screams, and murmurs of speech, overriding those rich aromas of wild freedom that had finally reemerged. Their path streched past cage and pedestal, tank and pit, a whole host of demonic beings illustrating the concepts of fear and terror through the expressions of their wide eyed beholders as the path streched her way to and around her current cage.

The enclosure itself flowed outward from itself like a mushroom cap or an umbrella, 360 degrees of confinement for her aching soul. The mouse and the ferret were long gone, having dropped off in the earlier chase; she was the only one on that barren floor. Her animals knew her intent was not to hurt them, yet dared not to test her fury, remaining in their own reclusive hideaways for the duration of most of her changes.

She watched with silvered eyes as tiny humans walked to the edge of her cage, poring over her massive size, her sharpened claws, her shifty gaze. Children gasped at the “moonstah” and hid behind their fathers’ legs; few mothers dared to enter her territory at all. The few women quickly hustled away, sometimes earning a fierce, toothy smile from the werewolf, teenagers joked and poked fun, occasionally throwing a piece of food, a plush toy, or other carnival paraphernalia at her snarling head. Some even dared to spit, sometimes making her rush the cage in brutish anger. But after a few hours or so of dealing with such treatment, she found herself sitting boredly, Her ears perked as she listened to two humans in particular, brawny men with camo overalls.

The first took off his orange hat, whistling as he looked her over. Waving this cloth at the borders of the cage line, she snapped her teeth, white canines closing with a click as she growled. “Ain’t she a brute,” he commented, nudging his friend, who wore an identical veridian headpiece. “Aye,” Green hat responded almost absentmindedly, his fingers brushing against the bars as he too eyed her down. She didn’t like the look in his eyes - one of a hunger for accomplishment over skill, the being captured by the desire to hold her lifeless pelt in their hands. The other was no less friendly, and no less riddled with greed; orange hat confirmed this,” Think what yuh’d have to do ta beat a bitch like this’un down. Hell, you’d probably have to starve n’ whip every week or so, but damn she’d win ya some, don’t ya think?”

“Eh,” he responded,”I’d rather have her on mah wall. Ya ain’t ever gonna find ahnother as big as this’un, and she’d make ya enough for a few wintahs at worst.”

“Nah think about it,” said Orange Hat,” to get yaself some more of the brutes, just starve hah out, find a dog brave enough to knock hah up, and ya got the best whelps in ta business!

Snarling, Crow leapt against the bars at their carelessness, at their utter disrespect for a beast of her caliber. They laughed at her attempt, made a few more comments, and left, pounding each other on the back for their “wit” and “merhit.” Typical human hunters, only worried about the profit of a creature over it’s basic needs and emotions. Any prey worthy enough to eat or creature worthy to tame should be given respect; it was in understanding, not submission, that her “pack” of sorts willingly followed her. She returned to the center of the cage, laying down as the next wave of smooth-skins came to laugh and jibe at the werewolf’s sorry folly.

---

The day continued as thus: waves would enter, waves would leave. She would listen to their conversations, duck at their thrown articles, leap and slash for the amusement of creatures far, far beneath her. At about lunch they threw in a bear, half starved and fur matted with it’s own blood. She couldn’t control what they did with the animals that weren’t hers, and though she felt sorry for the fate of the poor beast, she could tell by the glints of grey amongst it’s fur that it was too crazed by spikes and torture to listen to any reasoning she would have to give. She ignored it for as long as she could, but the beast wanted blood, and her hunger was becoming overwhelming. The lunchtime audience witnessed the fight, a primal dance of blood and bone, ended with a slash upon her own shoulder and a bite into the creature’s throat. She howled and ate victoriously, adrenaline and hunger driving her emotions forward as she cared not for manners or scrutiny, blood flowing from her cage to the feet of the audience as she ripped open and devoured her feast, her wounds being subtly healed by a spellcaster hidden in the foilage, likely the one who had put the bear there in the first place. An hour or so after the creature was placed in the mock arena, the only remnants were bones licked clean and blood soaked fur upon the ground. They threw in a boar at one point, but that one scurried to the edge of the cage immediately; temporarily sated, the werewolf found no reason to bother the creature, as it was already frightened enough. She could probably make sense with it later, if it still lived.

Later, prompted by a bored audience, the boar was prodded into a rage that ultimately led to it’s demise. Many of the humans left at the gory sight, but few filled their places; her ears pricked at the voice of another taking residence far, far from her, performing outside her tent. From the relative quiet of the few guests walking about, tired freaks shifting in their cages, and bones breaking within her teeth, the wolf was able to catch the light, inviting tone of a siren, putting her own caller to shame:

“...If thou yearns for a charming smile
Oh here you shall see
Only thy with such exquisitee
None can enthral like I...”

Twas the being who called himself Andracos, if she judged his voice correctly. He was well known at the carnival for his antics, his dangerousness, and his almost calm relations with the wish-master himself. She knew of his escapades as he certainly knew of her own, and the few hunts they were permitted to do together had given her a strong respect for the individual. Though her ears drooped slightly to hear of his snake charming - a feat in it’s own right, even for her, and a wonderful show to watch, if not for her own containment of this day - they quickly lifted as she heard his voice and imagined his performance. He was skilled, yes, but as they had never talked about the days in which she was trapped like this, she had no desire for him to visit a fellow hunter trapped like a hare in a snare. It was almost a fear, really, for her own hunter status to be stripped by such an uncontrollable situation as this. Perhaps she needed to get stronger, better, until even stone golems would be unable to stop her.

It was these thoughts that captured her mind as she listened to him perform, long until past his conclusion and “meet and greet,” a clever way to fulfil his bargain. But after that show, when people once again began to pour into her tent, pore over it’s inhabitants, and she had to perform her half-charade for the pathetic creatures, those thoughts eventually left the domain of her mind.

---

It was later, much later, when darkness of the tent crept out to join the darkness of the night, that Crow finally stirred from her position. The carnival had ended, but the golems had taken a little liberty with their orders, laughing with scratching voices as they simply sat in the open, firelit path, making movements as to remove the cage without actually moving it enough to let her out. She had tried dashing and had ended up with a stubbed nose, and so was now patiently waiting with bored eyes for the golems to run out of fun and return their spirits to their masters. She was laying down, stretching with a widened mouth when it came, the aroma of the paper and ink twirling and soaring through the air far before the letter arrived in the tent, settling down on her exposed teeth. The stone creatures, recognizing the magic touch, instantaneously raised her bars, leaving in a hurry from the otherwise empty tent. With a surprisingly gentle grasp Crow removed the letter from her jaw, barking authoritatively as she did so. At her command came a fox from the foliage, startled but trusting of her status as it sat submissively at her feet. She handed the paper to him, nudging her hand to the side in an order to stand away, taking the moment to shake the blood and dirt from her fur and, dodging tribal masks and flames, rinse off in a magically fake waterfall.A second shake hereby cleared the rest of the filth from her fur.

She recovered the letter from the fox, dismissing the vulpine creature as she read over the letter. It was from the Alpha himself, demanding her abilities - a demand she was all to happy to fulfil. To leave the cramped corridors of the cage and the tent and even the carnival was a recognition of her gifts, and a task she would proudly do for the Wish-Master...Even if she truly had a choice.

Crow stalked out of the tent, adopting a loping run as she passed by other tents in the process of cleaning up. She wasn’t trapped in her bloodrage anymore, nor did her blood run too rampant to change back, but she felt freer, more self sufficient in this form, and at this moment she did not care how many people she unsettled with her feral appearance. She passed where fires had been born and feats had been performed, sales had been made and souls had been stolen. She smelled the smells still lingering, of carnival sweets and savory treats, she passed whole swarms of cleaning gnomes bringing the carnival back to tip-top shape. She ignored glances of workers frightened or curious, solely focused on the task of reaching the edge of the establishment.

She did not bother with the front gates - she cared not for permission from those not worthy of being asked, and preferred to trust her own abilities instead. As she approached a gate she sped up, her loping evolving into a pure, heart-pounding run. The panels grew closer, closer…. her clawed paws pushed off the ground, propelling her cleanly over the fence and into the wild beyond the carnival. She howled, a resounding cry of freedom that resonated far into the distance… but despite her desire to trek out into the unknown, to explore, to hunt, to seek, to pursue….she had a job to do.

Adopting the loping run once more, Crow treked along the carnival's edge, sniffing for clues and searching for any hint of the danger that had been stealing her fellow workers. She didn’t notice anything at first, simply wooden panels like the one she had left, magical traces wafting up from the planks to discourage any from entering or departing uninvited. There was normal grass, a rougher sort that still felt as sweet as a caress to her canine feet. There was normal wind, carrying the melody of swaying plants and whispering flowers to her delightedly pricked ears. There was even a bright, inviting moon above her, smiling from it's celestial domain, a radiant beacon of the wild beauty of the earth. It was here that she found herself overcome with emotion: could there be family here, a full pack of those who understood and cherished the gifts of the hunt? Even though the human town was nearby, she had heard of packs residing peacefully or secretively near human settlements, and she longed to join the hunt with creatures who would fully understand. She left the immediate border, leaving the relative "safety" of the carnival, seeking solace from the business of the artificial environment. Having put some distance between her and the establishment, she clambered aboard a large rock. Raising herself on her hind legs, she raised her snout to the moon, releasing her soul into the night sky. Her howl seemed to dance with the wind, gusts flowing through her fur as she called out for familiarity, for family, for that feral love of the dark dank earth itself. She sang for the hunt and the pursuit, for the flight and the chase, for the kill and the release of life from predator to prey. A long, slow haunting note captured this in it's musical grasp, wavering into the night, soaring through the primal pitches in a song of pure desire...

But the moon offered no response of her kin. From the town came cacophonous calls and barks of tiny dogs, their calls far from the complexities of her soaring cry. From the wilderness came the few howls of ordinary wolves, understanding, more rich, but that true kinship she sought was absent from their cries. Her voice grew sadder, her tones grew somber, her voice seeking the response of any of her bloodmates, her song fading from rich feral melodies to a single melody to a long, lonely note, that accompanied and disappeared from the symphony of voices that now filled the night.

Disappointed, Crow loped back to the confines of the carnival, ears pricked should she hear even the trace of a familiar song. But on her way back, her nose picked up a strange smell. It was reminiscent of Ceci, the annoyingly righteous angel who had somehow found herself sworn into service with the Wish Master. It reminded her of Arina as well, that wispy smell of angelic feathers familiar to her trained nose. It was hard to track, as if the creature only hovered near the ground, though the scent was stronger every couple of meters, as if the creature had set down looking for some specific spot. Following the smell explicitly led her in circles as she sought the strongest wafts, as most were carried away by the wind. But the general path of the smell led, by chance, closer and closer to the carnival.

Intrigued, Crow followed this path, losing it every so often only to pick it up again. The trail led her right to the carnivals edge, where the magical nature of the fence shimmered violently, having been disturbed by some unlucky touch. Immediately beneath it were a few small feathers, broken and frayed as if from a quail grabbed by the wing. She lowered herself down onto all fours, taking in the pure smell of whatever had left these marks and this trail.

The smell was intense, but its qualities were far from properly describable. To put it simply, it reeked of magic, but in the same way that curdled milk still smells like milk, or charred wood still smells like wood. Different, yet the same - the smell of fallen angels. Snatching up the feathers from the ground, the werewolf followed the suddenly identifiable smell about the edge of the carnival, eventually stopping at a small pile of dirt, thrown together as if by someone trying to cover up a dig site. Perplexed, crow shoved the hardened tips of the feathers into the dirt before diving into the soil herself, her large paws making quick work of the already turned dirt. She had only dug about half a foot before she felt the strong desire to turn away from the hole, a powerful suggestion to go away. She shook her head at this madness, willing herself onward, deeper, deeper into the ground. It was far more than a suggestion now, a foot in, it was a demand that Crow had to grit her canine teeth against, whimpering slightly to herself as she pushed against the magical spell, until her claws refused to break up any more soil, their surface brushing against something , yet she did not feel the friction of a rock against her hand. The wolf took her hand out, peering down into the hole she had dug.

It wasn't that deep, certainly not enough to account for the weariness she felt having dug it. The refuse pile was full of small stones and burnt herbs fragments, notably sage, rosemary, and thyme. She didn't understand the meaning of this, but it did cover the angelic scent she had noticed before. However, the hole itself glowed with a faint mantis green, almost as faint as an aura... Or how she imagined them to be. Taking her hand down into the cursed hole, she brushed the dirt/herb mixture about, but could not physically move her paws farther in the hole. She snuffed softly at her discovery, before grabbing her feathers in her teeth and abandoning it altogether, searching for similar piles about the carnival's exterior. Just as she predicted, she had gone perhaps an eighth of a mile before she encountered another such pile, disguising burnt herbs and ash underneath a dusty, muffling dirt concealment, yet all was awash in the scent of fallen angel. Not quite regularly, but frequently she found such piles about the entire border of the carnival, a startling discovery given the disappearance of the workers Seil had indicated. Furthermore, the fences all seemed to waver in a disturbed fashion near these piles, though what the true effect of these piles were, she did not know. Taking a small sample in the grasp of her palm, Crow took a running leap back over the tall fence, determined to find the Alpha and alert him to this new discovery.

Questions varied from how she'd pulled off such feats of fire bending to asking if she could teach them to be like her. She always got a kick out of all of it. Unlike most people in the carnival, she actually enjoyed just talking and being around people. Kids more so than adults of course. There was just something about talking that made her all bubbly and stuff on the inside. Maybe it was just because she was the center of attention, but somehow she doubted that. Being on a stage with millions of people never got her as excited as just dancing with some carnival friends in her tent. Not that she'd know anything about being in front of millions of people. At best she drew a crowd of maybe fifty? She'd likely get more if she actually advertised her show beyond just yelling as she walked through the carnival. That just wasn't her style though. She preferred people who wanted to be there like the kids before her.

With a sense of glee she answered all the questions asked of her. Never tiring or giving a short and snappy reply. She wasn't always the nicest of people, but she never went out of her way to be mean to others. That just seemed dumb and stupid. Why would you just openly insult someone who could be a friend later on? She had enough trouble finding people who got her sense of humor and didn't want to wring her neck after a joke. Not that she really minded that. A few close friends were better than a bunch of distant ones. There was a quote from the godmother that went something like that but she couldn't remember it. Lots of teachings from her old culture were lost on her now. Not that she really minded that either. She was always a bit of a free spirit. Even by fae standards.

Commotion and crowd began to dwindle down, only one blond haired boy and mother remained. Mother looked rather gaunt, sitting around perhaps the age of 40 or maybe 50. Boy was a tad bit chubby, cheeks reminding her of a little cherub. His hair was messy and as with all children, he wasn't much older than her physical appearance belayed. She was always going to eternally be a 9 to 10 year old girl to most humans. It made gathering souls pretty easy, though she didn't really like the process all that much. It's why she only did a few a month. Less stressful that way. Her mind was better suited to pranks than thinking about ways to wrangle people into signing contracts to the wishmaster.

Right hand shot outwards, grabbing the boy's before he could even utter a word. Her gaze shot towards the mother. “Can I take him on a tour of the carnival? You can follow behind us if you want. I promise to not get him in trouble. Well, much trouble at least.” She grinned at the boy who seemed entirely too bashful to speak. The mother gazed down to Red, hazel eyes giving the fae the look over. Apprehension seemed to leave as she realized time away from her child might be just what she needed. “Go ahead. Bring him back here within the hour.” With that the mother departed.

Red pulled the boy behind her, showing him all the shows and tents within the carnival. There was the acrobatic act by the lady known as Ty. Unfortunately the act was over, as most were, but it didn't hurt to show the boy where everything was located. If everything went well he'd be working here soon enough. Maybe he could be like her assistant or something. She'd never had one of those before. The one show they actually did manage to catch was the arrogant Andracos. She never much cared for the man, but the snake charming was pretty cool. Best part was the end when he made a clone of himself with snakes. That was real magic right there. The crowd rightfully all clapped and cheered. She did make sure to pull the boy away before he got branded. Souls were like candy, you didn't touch what was hers unless she offered it to you.

Tour rounded to an end with a shared funnel cake. She looked into his still nervous eyes, hands peeling away a piece of the funnel cake. “What's the matter? Your like one of the most quiet kids I've ever met.”

Boys cheeks flushed, eyes staring towards the ground. “I get nervous around girls.”
“Why? I'm just like you.”
“Well....”
“Well what?”

The boy tensed, creeping back into his giant turtle shell. If only he was a actual giant turtle person. That would end up pretty cool. A turtle with big water guns stuck in his shell. Now that would be the coolest creation in the history of creations. Head shook back and forth, jarring herself back to reality. Hands planted on the boys shoulders as if on instinct. “Listen, I'm not going to bite you or anything so calm down. What's your dream? The thing you want to do most in the world.”

“Welll...” Boy struggled to really articulate what he wanted. Hands tucked into his pockets, mouth open and closing repeatedly.

Popping another bite of funnel cake into her mouth, she motioned for him to follow her behind a tent.
Once behind the tent she slid off the ragged looking poncho jacket she currently sported. Boy seemed like he was almost about to faint. It made her giggle on the inside. She had things on that covered everything up anyway. Plus, she had a child body, chest was as flat as a board as it was. What was the kid really expecting to see? She could imagine him picturing a bright shiny light with harps and trumpets playing and then suddenly, snakes popped out of her chest and bit him. That would be pretty funny.

She tossed her poncho down to the ground, fluttering up off the ground. Tips of her wings faded into the darkness of the night. “This place can grant you any wish you want. Just look at me. This isn't normal right? Just imagine what you could wish for. You just have to sign some forms and work here. Not a bad trade off right? Take it from me, working here is pretty fun. You get a free ticket to every show to.”

Boys mouth fell open, words rushing out of his mouth. “I've always wanted to be kissed by a girl.”

Red fluttered downward, bare feet touching down onto the ground. “That's all? Well we can do that! You'd just have to work here for a month. Come on, we got to talk to your mom first. It's against the rules to do this without her consent you know.” She still couldn't believe she was going to get a contract for something so simple. A kiss? That was just too easy.

Discussion with the mom actually went very well. Rather than be skeptical or even against the notion, she wanted to sign a contract herself. Her wish was well outside Red's ability however. She wasn't even sure if immortality was a thing they could give out. That was certainly the wishmaster's territory. Thankfully, she knew just where to find him. She was sure he'd give her a cut of that soul or something like that. That could wait for the moment as she needed to finish her own deal.

Using an empty food stand counter as a table, she drew up the little boys contract. A kiss in exchange for a months worth of work and three branded souls. Very light deal, but it really wasn't that big a wish. She looked over the counter at the pair, hand still putting the finishing touches on the deal. “Ok, so you need to sign at the bottom that you both acknowledge that your souls being taken from the book of life and placed into the book of death. That service will be paid within a month's time or by the time you have collected three souls yourself. I've gone over it all already so I'm not going to bore you.”

The mother quickly signed the contract, nose wrinkling as she did so. “We will be seeing your employer after this meeting? I shall demand separate contracts for myself and little Danial in the terms of immortality.”

Red nodded. “Well, he needs to finish this contract first I think, but it shouldn't be a problem. He's very accommodating. It's his job after all.”

Daniel signed next, dotting his 'I' with a smiley face. Red rolled up the scroll, stuffing it into her pocket. “Now to see the wishmaster. You'll get your kiss a little later if you don't mind Danny. I just want to get your mom all situated with things first.”

They didn't get three feet before a rolled up piece of paper fluttered her way, jabbing her in the side of the head. She tried to ignore it at first but it persisted. Poke, poke, poke. There was only so much she could take before she just couldn't ignore it any longer. Mother behind her noticed the issue as well. “Is there a problem?”

Red snatched the paper, reading the single sentence quickly. “No, everything’s fine.” As if she was going to bed now. Who was he to tell her what to do? He wasn't her dad and despite appearances, she wasn't a child. She was going to give him a real piece of her mind when they got to his trailer.

Her feet stomped against the ground the rest of the walk towards Seil's trailer. Talk was nonexistent between the three parties as the two humans seemed to see the aura of annoyance that was now permeating her body. She didn't bother to knock on the door, choosing to yell. “Wake up! You know I can't go to sleep without a bed time story.”

Vol rested in his tent, comfortable in the darkness and silence that filled his home. He lay, naked and relaxed, on the comfortable mattress, feeling the cool of the evening air softening the heat of his body, drawing the warmth from his skin. He breathed softly, easily, replaying his night over in his mind.

His last lover for the night was gone but her scent still lingered in the air. He sighed deeply savoring the past, every moment. Some would call him callous, and he was. None of his lovers ever escaped being branded, their souls consigned to the Wishmaster at the heights of their passion. He felt no guilt or remorse at doing so. However, there was a part of him that cared for each lover, each tryst was special, unique to him. Even among the uncounted hundreds he had a moment frozen in his memory for each one. That moment, the instant he loved them, was the instant he could destroy them. What gets you in the end, is what you love.

In a comfortable haze he rested, enjoying the night and wonderfully limber feeling in his body. He would have stayed that way for some time, it was one of the few times in the carnival he could relax, however tonight it was not to be.

In the half-dark he spotted the letter winging his way. Only one person sent missives to him in that manner, and that meant he better figure out what was going on. He rose from his bed and lit a gas lamp; his quarters were styled in the same anachronistic manner as his clothing, a dark Victorian style which suited his nature. Reaching out a hand he plucked the flying letter from the air with ease, unrolled it, and began to read.

“Simple enough” he muttered and dropped the letter on the desk. He pulled on a pair of pants, casually shrugged into a button down white shirt, and grabbed his cane. The visitors were gone, the carnival was in that nothing state when gnomes swarmed the place cleaning, other workers relaxed or did whatever suited them, and most put aside the roles they donned for their act. Of course for a few it was not a “role”, they simply were as they were, but the pressure to draw the eye, to allure, to attract was off and people were free to be casual. Vol, for example, didn’t bother with his usual top hat, vest, cravat, coat, or even bother to tuck in his shirt. He was still devastatingly handsome, in fact in many ways more alluring now in casual dress. He never plied himself or his trade in this manner however, and thus was not aware of just what a dashing figure he cut, half disheveled and utterly relaxed. He was confident of his own abilities but he had taken the precaution of tucking his revolver into his belt and twirled his cane easily at his side as he walked.

He found the wolverines sated from their supper and in a somewhat lethargic mood. They rousted soon enough however and with a tap of his cane on the ground they fell into step around him. He could not communicate with them, not as Crow communicated with the animals of the carnival, but he was still able to make his point known and soon he was trailing behind them as they headed off, all five in a completely unorganized manner, to wander the edge of the carnival.

He sung to himself as he wandered, his song replete with siren allure, was not intended for anyone in particular. In fact he only sang because he was alone, none of the other workers in sight. He enjoyed singing, he just didn’t do it often because it created too deeply intimate a bond between singer and listener. Alone now he let his voice wend through the air, a that could touch the heart, particularly if sung by a siren. Vol of course did not believe in such devoted love, it always brought one to ruin so why allow it?

He did not truly expect to find anything; mostly because he believed that anything powerful enough to kick a badger in the butt, the badger being Seil, would be smart enough not to leave a trace. He was wrong.

The wolverines, loping ahead as if on an outing at the park, were wandering here and there in a rather chaotic manner. Suddenly all five stopped dead in their tracks, turned, and wandered towards the carnival fence. Vol picked up his pace and followed. He found them standing around staring at something on the ground looking so much like a bunch of German short-haired pointers that he actually burst out in genuine laughter.

A hard rap of his cane on the ground and the animals backed away. At first Vol thought it was nothing, just a feather. Considering the amount of angels that roamed the carnival, not to mention other creatures possessing feathers, it was nothing. Until Vol realized it was bronze threaded through with a sickly green. As far as he knew no one or thing in the carnival had feathers of such a color. He tucked it into a pocket for later perusal and rapped his cane again sending the wolverines scurrying away.

****
The carnival had regressed Nate, emotionally. Normally a very quiet but intelligent young man this place had changed him. At least for a time. When they first arrived the color, life, and activity had lent him a childlike exuberance he never exhibited in normal life. Particularly not of late when things had been so dark and depressing. Then everything changed and fear set in. Fear of being alone, of the strangeness of the place, of being a mortal in the realms of Azure was tough enough. He was pretty sure that here would be even worse. These people were beyond skilled at their chosen professions, they would consider himself and Nalia to be worse than useless. He was also afraid at what he would have to do. Mr. Seil had explained it to him just as if Nate was a grown up, he appreciated that at least, despite his fear of his new place and what his life would be now.

He was sticking close to Nalia. He couldn’t believe the sacrifice his sister had made for him, he would never forget it. He would have sacrificed almost anything for his sister, only his mother did he love more. However consigning one’s life to such a contract was so above and beyond sacrifice that he wasn’t certain he could have mustered the strength to do it. That was why he didn’t hate his father, not completely. He still held hope that his mother would live, and he still held hope his father and mother would return and rescue him somehow.

Nalia had no such delusions. Her father was as dead to her as she to him, in truth had he cared enough to return for them she wouldn’t go. Not after what he had done to his own son. Apprenticed him to a place like this. It was plain that this carnival was more than just an ordinary carnival. Just how much more she was yet to learn.

The two wandered on the fringes of the action, trying to find a way to learn what they needed to know. They were turned loose in the carnival with very little direction. They knew what they had to do, just not how or where or such other details. When the gnomes popped out from everywhere, literally popped out, they were truly startled. That turned to fascination rather quickly. It was almost mesmerizing how fast the little beings worked, or how quickly everything was returning to its pristine condition as it was at the start of the day. Azure was one surprise after another.

When the pretty blue eyed girl from the aerial show walked up Nalia actually caught her breath. The girl was even prettier up close. She nearly swooned with a rapidly blossoming girl crush. She could never be like that. Pretty and talented and Nalia was sure she had to be the envy of all. The comment however put Nalia on the defensive and caused her to stiffen. Of course with Nalia’s attitude getting her on the defensive wasn’t a difficult feat.

“We are not lost puppies” she said icily. “I’ll have you know…”

“Lia” said Nate slipping up beside his sister. “We need to know what to do, try not to bite everyone’s head off.”

Nate’s eyes were almost as blue as Ty’s, just not so vivid. He stared at the young woman for a moment somewhat stunned by her appearance like his sister had been. On the ground she was much more “real” than in the air. He gripped his sister’s hand tightly and stood tall beside her.

“We saw your act” said Nate by way of conversation. His voice was soft but polite and conversational. He missed the fact he had yet to introduce himself. “It was neat enough. Of course Lia loved it. She wants to be a gymnast. Or she did until our father made her quit lessons. She’s pretty good though. You should see her. Plus she can climb a tree like nobody’s business.”

“Nate” hissed Nalia “She doesn’t need to know that.” Nalia was mortified for she was sure her aspirations of being a gymnast would be nothing more than mildly amusing to a professional like Ty. “I’m Nalia. This is my brother Nathan” she said by way of introduction. “And yeah we’re new. I guess we need to know what to do and where to go and all that. Not that we have much in the way of talents to perform or anything. Not sure how we are supposed to…you know. Oh and sorry about before. Everyone always tries to walk all over us. I won’t allow it.”

********

Vol was nearing the end of his wanderings when he heard the wolverines ahead snarling and snapping, like they would do over dinner. He frowned and jogged forward to find them fighting over something on the ground. He rapped his cane on the ground in command but they ignored him.

“Hsst” he said sharply with another rap. One of the wolverines looked up snarling at him. Vol glared back unperturbed. A large part of his ability to control the animals came from his complete lack of fear and supreme confidence. The wolverine backed down, as did the others, and backed away from what they were fighting over.

Vol closed the distance and looked at the mess on the ground. He frowned. It was entrails. And not human. They could be just some animal but he doubted it. There was a smell that permeated the area that he couldn’t quite place but it seemed very out of place. He wasn’t a feral animal however, he simply couldn’t get that pinpoint accuracy of scent. Also he wasn’t about to pick up the entrails, that was beyond revolting. He grabbed several sticks and jammed them into the ground around the mess. He’d let someone else deal with that. It may be something as simple as one of the supernatural animals that inhabited the carnival dined on one of the others.

He almost tripped over the bag nearby as he was ushering the wolverines from the area. It was dark brown leather and hidden by the shadow of a near-by tree. When he reached down to pick it up the shock he received nearly ripped his arm off. He dropped it like a hot coal and hissed to himself. Magic. It had to be some sort of magic. Not mortal magic. Something deeper, stronger.

“Guard” he commanded the wolverines and they squared off do just that. He rarely asked this of them, they complied immediately. Running a hand through his thick dark hair he swiftly figured a plan of action. There really was only one. Seil had to be told, Morgue if he couldn’t find Seil. Vol swiftly walked off into the heart of the carnival.

Despite the cold tone she received as a greeting, Ty gave a small smile. Her smile was neither strained nor bright. It was Ty's own unique gesture that some called 'mysterious' or believed that the smile hid many stories. Mentally, she sighed. 'Training I can do. But Wish Master, you ask a lot for me to tour guide.' "I didn't mean to upset you. My apologies. There's no need to start on the wrong foot." She nodded and then eyed the two over. They didn't look that old, and there weren't any traces of magic on them. The siblings were mere humans. Her arms crossed under her chest as she waited for the two to collect their thoughts. Even though she had a calm look, inside she was rather nervous. The air elemental wasn't one to start conversations with people unless it was important. Everyone knew this. But in this case it appeared she would have to her over that.

Or at least she thought she did, until the younger teen spoke. 'So I was right. I'll be mentoring the newcomer.' Ty let the two finish before she spoke a response. "I was well aware of one of you being interested in my field." With another small smile, this time directed to Nalia, she continued. "I'll be mentoring you miss Nalia. You'll get to live your dream. And by the sounds of it, you may already have the basics in gymnastics, which means the tedious basics will be easy to brush through." She looked over at Nathan, examining him over. She studied his features, how polite he was, and how he acted- controlling his sister's temper. Well, it was obvious the two were complete opposites. A fiery tempered one, and one much more calm. "What exactly do you want to do Nate?" Saying his name, the air elemental put it to memory.

"Follow me. I'll show you around. Then I'll lead you two to an available cart." By then, as Ty continued speaking, she had already turned around and began walking off. "Carts, or the smaller tents, are where we reside until we move to the next city." Ty explained as they passed a few of the performance tents. "I hope you two are ready for quite an adventure. The characters that live here are vast, and not all are too friendly." Each tent they passed, Ty stopped to explain a little about each performer. She had started with Andracos' stage giving a small explanation as to who he was, and then what he was. "But do not worry. Mr. Seil makes sure he and a few other stay in line." Following him, Crow was next. Her explanation went from her animal taking abilities, to her own animalistic abilities. "Careful what you say to some of the fellow members. Not all of them will respond with only a curt tongue." Ty never looked at either of them when she said that comment, but it was obvious that it was directed toward Nalia.

Eikki's tent was next. Her explanation was rather short for him. Ty didn't want to ramble on about one performer over the next and she made sure to keep her own admiration on check. All of this had been done in a calm fashion. She never grew over zealous when explaining the performances, nor had she grown nervous when she spoke of the dangerous beings inside the carnival. A few more tents including her own, and even now-barren concession stands later, Ty paused in a relatively opened area. Off to the side, she noticed Pachid sleep as always, resting against a crate. 'One would think he overworked himself day in and day out. "That is Pachid over there. He's friendly when he's awake- if you ever catch him when he's awake." During their journey, they had passed Vol who seemed to be in a hurry and even Grog, who was more than happy to welcome the newcomers.

"These are two new recruits to the Carnival. Nathan and Nalia."
The troll put on a bright smile before bellowing out a hello. "Welcome! Welcome! You'll have fun, yes." He then shook his head and continued. "Must go now. Busy with search." It appeared he had noticed, being the bouncer, that a few of his friends were scanning the grounds for oddities, and he decided to help out as well. Though he stuck to the main entrance just in case someone tried to sneak in.
"Go on Grog. I must get these two settled anyway." This reminded her of the dangers that began to occur in the Carnival. Would it be best to notify them now or wait? Ty decided against scaring them on their first day.
She looked between the two and then gestured ahead. "Where we reside is toward the back of the Carnival. You'll be able to design it as you wish. Just ask Mr. Seil and he will grant the wish... Of course, you don't have to pay for that." Ty made sure to make it clear that not everything they asked for while they were there would mean they had to give away something. "You've already signed the contract. Besides good performances and the souls you must gather, Mr. Seil expects nothing else from you. So if you ever need assistance, don't hesitate to ask. Although we are here to help as well." To a newcomer, Ty was sure that wasn't something that was supposed to be spoken of so lightly. Their lives had been given away after all. 'They'll get used to it.'

Her informative speech ended as they stood together in front of a newly refurbished cart. "It appears, someone already got a tent set up for you both." It looked large enough to hold two people without being extremely cramped. "For now," Ty's gaze left theirs for a moment as she fumbled for something to say. "I'd say get aquatinted with everyone, and make yourself comfortable. There's no need to start your training immediately." Her arms crossed under chest and she looked over at her own tent not too far away. "That is where I reside if you ever need help. Do you...have any questions?" She decided it would be polite as a tour guide to ask such things. Ty had hoped she didn't move too fast, or wasn't clear with her explanations. It was the first time she was told to give a tour of the carnival and Ty really wanted it to be a good first try.

If they didn't have anything other questions, Ty would nod and bid them a good night. Even though she'd say good night, she didn't head to her tent. She decided it would be best to inform Mr. Seil or Mogue that the two were settled. It would be one less thing the heads of the Carnival had to worry about, knowing they were already stressed.

Upon full fluffy white wing, the angel held repose against the high winds, raven hair flowing gently though her gown and gear fluttered away briskly in the nightsky, her halo's glow softly igniting her features. If only she could capture the wondrous sight neath her. Oh, so many times had she held reverence up high, keen eyes upon the lit splendour and roiling mirth of the De'Seil Carnival grounds... pretending to be a kite shaped like an angel. Just like the other lantern-bearing ones spaced out far and away beside her.

From here she could see the aerial majesty that was Ty. Flipping, flying; music in action by her own right. She was mistress of the trapeze. No other came close. Lights glistened off her taut and finely muscled stature. She swung and fell. They gasped and screamed. She twirled and defied death again. And yet again. They gasped and cheered again. And yet again. When her performance was over, CeCi herself could not help but clap loudly into the high winds, regardless if she was not heard, she whistled on feeling rather inspired by Ty; her grin shone brightly now, fair to say not many should see such a sight.

Those unseen; those with chafed and calloused hands, glistening brow and lips, and with dirty and grime covered sore bodies, those of the Lighting and rigging crew threw up a hand to Celleci up high as she flashed a mirror lit by her very being in each direction. "Bravo, my dears... bravo for another impeccable performance held in tow by our own. Bravo!!!" said her angellic accented voice brought to their ears by the power of her command over Wind.

To her right, what sounded like a child in throes of frenzied giggles brought a sound not unlike a giggle of an angel to Celleci's own throat. After a gloved hand pressed softly to dusky lips to stifle said giggle, Celleci tossed her other hand high in greeting to the owner of the trickling giggle.

“Oh dear, CeCi,” said Jassesi, bright golden eyes peering at her from inside the angel-kite, “but this Faerie never ever gets tired by seeing such a sight made of Ty's abilities and skills, aye! And oh, but does this one ever feel so giddy-like and just want to pee right here and now! Oh, but does this one get so excited! Aye and a promise, says JaSi...! A pee promise Hah!”

This little chubby imp of a Faerie always spoke in the strange mannerisms of Celleci. At first it was just a mocking, an annoyingly effective mocking, of CeCi, but for some reason, Jassesi the Kite Flier, kept speaking in such a manner and it stuck. It did irk CeCi some, but over the past year, the angel actually felt flattered that the little blue-headed Fae kept speaking like CeCi.

“Agreed, my dear,” said CeCi, her voice still not needed to be raised since she used Wind to bring voices to ears, “very well, JaSi, are you ready to light for Crow then?”

“Aye, wingsy! And again aye!” Jassesi rubbed her adorable pudgy belly and the lanterns of the other flock of angel-kites began to burn brighter and when the fire works went off to signal Crow's performance they were ready.

“Dwarven ladies and lords! Aim be true!!! Light it up JaSi!!!”

“Aye, Celleci!”

The mirrors reflected the intensified warm glow of the lantern by the Light Manipulating imp. The dwarves in the angel-kites turned their spots to hit the gaping holes in the tent of Crow, illuminating the dark shaggy monstrous form with strobing light; they were quick with covering their sources. The shrieks and squeal of delight and terror were their reward. Half way through the performance, the spots were directed in other places across the Carnival, highlighting certain activities and attractions.

“Well done. 90 seconds to Vol and wolverines. Second crew on me!” CeCi waved her hand and a gust of wind picked up behind them and they gathered in a loose circle, “this time, do not linger too long on a wolverine... it makes them nervous. Vol can handle them, but anything to make the star at ease, aye?!”

“Aye, Celleci!”

89 seconds later and Celleci was glowing like a nova. Fireworks exploded. “NOW!!!”

The lights hit the gaping marks and lit up the other feral routine. Oooohhhs... screams... another perfectly timed Lighting. JaSi and the dwarves cheered in unison.

“Time to give Red some assistance...” by the ring toss, many had gathered. But not enough. “drop glitter, my dears... 3... 2... 1... now!” CeCi raised a gloved hand and weaved mid-air, using her power to guide the glitter, as it fell she turned her own mirrors and lit them as they passed by Andracos, people gathered, especially the women, some may have even tossed kerchiefs in his directions, the young naive fools.

“Do not say this one does not do anything for you, Kneeler,” said CeCi through a grin.

Then the glitter swept away and her spotlight moved with the scintillating cloud and it danced onward toward children as JaSi and the others moved in time with the performance of Vol and his beasts and towards the end of Crow's violent performance.

The children spun along, giggling and tossing little hands up to the dancing glitter just out of their reach. It was time for Celleci to change hats now; the glitter swirlled its way towards Red's Firestarter routine.

“Well done, aerial crew! Well done! Cheer for them and a cheer for us! Aye and yet again aye! This one shall see you upon the Carnival grounds with the ground crews for a well deserved celebration. Ye have made this angel proud. But more importantly the Lady Co-ordinator Calista smiles no doubt! And the 'Master? Oh but it does smile... if you can all that thing plastered across its mouth a true smile...”

Giggles and cheers. Blown kisses and proud tears.

“...bravo, my dears, and again, bravo. This angel to the grounds then... but JaSi eyes open for any of this ones fallen sisters or brothers. A single flash of light upon this one and to the skies with blade and more than a willing fight will this one be there for you...”

---

Dressed in full white, complete with a red cross upon her white hat was CeCi, one of many wandering grounds nurses. She walked with a lantern and to hide her glow, her cloak was lined with mirrors thank tinkled together as she walked. And of course, in only a carnival of this kind would a real angel, a once Archangel wear faux feathery wings as costume to hide her true nature. Only in the De'Seil Carnival...

But CeCi was not merely a nurse right now. As Rascal, the immense kindly thing, was handing out flowers to the males, ushering them to pass them on to the females upon the grounds, CeCi would hand out balloons and suckers to soothe the crying and upset children at such a sight as Rascal. But tonight... tonight was a different night.

A crying child, complete with snot falling from precious button nose, was soothed by Celleci with candies. As she wiped its nose clean and before patting its bottom away back to its folks, CeCi whispered in its ear: “You cry because you see a monster. You should smile because you can make a friend. His name is 'Rascal.' Share your candy and see... his name, it is Rascal... you should tell him yours as well... then you will be friends... aye... aye and a promise little one...”

The first one declined vehemently. The second shyly scurried away back to its folks. The third... well, that was the dam breaker. The brave little blonde with the twin piggy-tails marched promptly up to Rascal; right in the path of the hulking form. A little pale pudgy hand held up a little red round sucker.

“'Ello, sir. M'name, 'tis Polly... 'ere, take it then... The tinkly-tinkly angel-nurse... she said yer name... well it be Rascal then..? ”

Rascal took the candy and with an uncertain, confused even, expression upon his face, he turned to Celleci. Silver eyes shone as she nodded and smiled encouragement at Red's bestest buddy.

Rascal turned back to Polly. An awkward moment. Then he smiled shyly and nodded his snowy-haired head. Gently and sounding as if from the mouth of a babe: “Whaaa...Scawlll...”

“That be me doggy's name tooooooooooooooooooo!!! Friends now we be, Mr. Rascal!!!!” the little blonde squealed and bounced up and down, blonde piggy-tails and precious dolly skirt fluffing out with her little jumps. Instantly she was suction-cupped to his shin. Another squeal. Another suction-cup. Then another. Then another. Then another.

Rascal began guffawing as he turned back to CelleCi. She chuckled lightly and reached up to Rascal and hugged him as well. “Exchange then. You hand out balloons and candies. CeCi will hand out the flowers, aye?”

Ever so gently the gargantuan's head nuzzled fondly upon Ceci's nurses cap after they exchanged items.

“To Red then! Quickly Rascal! Her show begins in 90 seconds! We need these children there!”

The children squealed and giggled as they were lifted up with each leg of Rascal's forward toward his bestest bud.

---

A slender yet finely muscled caramel arm flexed a hand into a fist. A gust of wind brushed past the tossing motion of the red-faced lad and his ball unerringly struck the target beside the dunking tank.

~DING!!!~ “Wiiiiiiiner!!!”

Down went Pachid and the crowd cheered. His final coin, his final toss and his final attempt to impress his little sweetie came to fruition. She hugged the dolly that looked suspiciously too much like Starla and then planted a kiss squarely on her hero's mouth.

When Pachid surfaced, CeCi was right beside the cage glowering at the vampire. Served him right.

Then her features softened as he clambered back onto the dunking seat. With a sheepish smile, she offered a single flower through the cage for him. Silver eyes glistened and her smile turned into a hearty grin as the peace offering dangled between them--

~DING!!!~ “Wiiiiiiiner!!!!”

Down went Pachid and the crowd cheered. CeCi gave a hearty cheer then laughed even heartier as she scurried away, with about a dozen men in tow, chasing after her and her bouquet.

---

Celleci smiled awkwardly as she gave out the final flower. Many a male tried to give it right back to her, but finally they moved on to others, especially when they walked past Arina's kissing booths and Starla's jaw-dropping and other parts ticking performances.

The angel blinked twice when the light flashed in her eyes. She shook her head fervently to get it to rise above the clouds of her mind. Her expression had been similar to the goofy puppy looks upon the males watching the siren, the very fully female siren as she worked the crowd. It was the first time that ever happened to CeCi. After gathering her wits she looked to the source of the light. Silver eyes scanned towards the gathering around Red.

Red's performance was marvellous as always and as always thankfully without injury, fiery or otherwise to the gathering of children. But that is not where silver eyes were trained. It was upon Grog.

In a heartbeat she was there.

“Trouble, friend CeCi... angry people!” he said as his crew gathered about, settling in to face off against a rowdy crowd.

“But what should this angel do for you, friend Grog, these people--”

“Not people, CeCi!” he said in a tone that she was not familiar with against her; impatience. But a similar one all the same; worry, “Grog take care of angry people! Other you take care of! Up in sky! Your sister!”

As soon as she looked up, a hail of light from the aeriel crew hit her silver eyes. But the light was not distracting enough for her to not see what flew in darkness above them.

“That is no sister of mine...” seethed CeCi and now it was Grog's turn to be taken aback by her tone of voice; the ire of an angel. “...but thank you, Grog. You are more of a sibling to Celleci than that... thing...”

CeCi hurriedly made her way over behind Eikki's tent to shed her nurses garb. “Grog, be safe! There is shadow abound. Stay in the Light. Call Celleci, to her feather if you need this one. CeCi will always be there for you!!”

Down went the lantern. Off went the cap. Off went the fake wings. From her pack she grabbed two items. After splitting it in twain, from the fake wings she grabbed her special item. After a second thought, she decided to leave the mirrored cloak behind. If she must glow, if a halo she must show, then so be it. She must face the fallen one as herself, as a very female Guardian Angel.

“...a transcendent Guardian Angel... or whatever this one truly is... for tonight is a new night...”

---

One would look at Celleci, even with her wings fully spread, she would seem rather frail, with a matching docile demeanour. With flowing raven hair, pitch perfect cheekbones and nose, and with full dusky lips ever pulled upward with a hint of a smile many would consider her features pretty. She had enough curves upon her dainty body and enough swell in her bosom to be considered attractive. Long shapely legs and thin ankes and cute toes whispered for hands to reach out and feel just how smooth and angel's skin is.

Only a select few had ever seen her look

Only those of true Light could see beneath the cowl of an ArchAngel.

“Your name.. it is not known to this one yet...” said Celleci, who was not Celleci right now. Even her voice was unrecognizable.

She stood over it. Broken sword, not looking so broken at the moment and more like it was lit by a thousand suns. Silver eyes, that were not silver right now, peer deep into the fallen's yellowed eyes, forcing her aura upon the mirror of Lies hiding it's name...

It could not outfly her. It could not. It could not out fight her. It could not. It could not stand before her. It could not and so she made it kneel. Even in mortal time, even with taint denied, even though she oppressed her true being, she was still who she was. A general in the War that only the ancients of Ancients could know; the War for the The Truths and Lies.

Yes, she did not have a name because she would not allow herself such a powerful thing in this side of existence. Yes, she was in mortal time because she would not allow herself to stay linked to the immortal Kingdom in the Azure. Yes, she could not wield any other power other than Wind. But no, her sword was not truly broken. It only reflected the state of an angel's heart.

Her taloned foot gave a sharp twist and the darkened wing beneath it lost a few more feathers.

“This one will know your name... for it is upon you soul...” Celleci who was not Celleci in this moment spoke like a different kind of angel. One that would not become fallen.

The blazing blade held at its throat, constricting all breath and voice. Celleci did not want answers right now. “When your name is known, fallen... your soul will no longer be yours to possess. Nay. Nay and a promise, fallen.”

The female redhead fallen's arms lay splayed out wide, pinned by a force more than just mere Wind. It choked away trying to speak, trying to give reason for Celleci, who was not Celleci right now, to stop what she intended to do; to stop her from becoming less than an angel in Light. But this angel was just not having it. No, she was going to have something else.

The mirror to its soul shattered and the angel would have its name. And its sou--

“Thank you, CeCi...”

The voice of BreathTaking Skies spoke to her from golden feather and she could not resist her vow to go when called.

Celleci screeched wildly once then took to the skies, her prey below holding its throat and gasping for breath. She was so close, ever so close to having its name.

And her first soul.

She did not look back in shame. Nay, she would have another chance again. She knew she would lose her station as an ArchAngel with that first soul claimed.

Celleci screeched wildly again and her golden wings retreated. In its stead was her white plumage and her normal form and visage. But silvery eyes glinted as she flew back to Ty.

She knew she would lose her station as an ArchAngel with her first kill.

But that was part of the plan.

---

She landed outside of Ty's tent and tried to regain her composure. The note had gained her attention as her wings took her back to the Carnival. Mid-flight she had read it and normally calm and calculating Celleci had become a bundle of nerves and teeming with torn emotions. Especially now that she could see Ty's form flowing away, dressed in her normal comfy casual wear, undoubtedly tasked by the 'Master at such an hour.

Ty was in no danger. The elemental was just being herself. Sweet and grateful for all things that made her happy. That was where they met in the middle; seeking happiness. But for all intents and purposes, they never met there in person.

She sighed and shook her head. Timing was off between Ty and CeCi; it was as if Fate herself toyed with the two females meeting up together only to split them apart again. Another moment she took to herself and was finally disturbed by a whirring sound made by precious gossamer wings.

“Heeeeeeyyyy... SeeeeeeeSeeeeee....” the blue-headed cherub was drunk, “ya' dinna come t'thine own celebarationaries party, wingsy...?”

The little thing that was half Celleci's height buzzed and bumbled its way into her face and burped. Ceci scrunched up her face and caught the pudgy Fae like a child, one arm around waist, the other under both knees.

“JaSi, you smell,” she said sternly, but silver eyes glowed with much humour.

“Awwww... wingsy... that why ya dinna go...?” JaSi sniffed under one armpit, then the other. A soured look took her face then she shrugged. “Faeries always smells likes flowers to me, CeCi...”

“Nay, drunken Faeries smell like human armpits, my dear...”

They both had a little chuckle.

“But go on then, Jassesi... have some fun for this angel then... work; it never ends for this one, after all... and tell Lady Callista to keep a cold one for CeCi then too, if you please... be there soon, my dear, aye?”

“Aye, Celleci!” golden eyes widened as Jassesi saluted buzzed her multi-coloured insect-like wings into life again.

CeCi let go of JaSi and the cherub-like fairy held her lounging position, hovering there, mid-air.

A drunken half-lidded smile at CeCi. A blown kiss in return and a rough, playful shove sending the imp floating off in the other direction, still in her lounging pose.

“Roll up, roll up cherry and all...” sang the Fae, a bit off-key but with much enthusiasm.

~

CeCi shook her head as she chuckled, then she turned and her own wings burst into feathery white life and she took flight towards the 'Master's wagon. She was in good spirits and much calmer now, all things considered. But when she arrived at Mr. Seil's door, she was dressed up in full ArchAngel regalia. She rapped at the door gently, full golden wing and shining golden sword brandished. She just had to make sure to do this just right.

Today was supposed to be a new day afterall.

Nalia and Nate walked quietly behind Ty as she led them through the carnival. The two siblings remained quiet but their minds were on very different trains of thought.

Nalia’s train of thought had completely derailed at the mention of Ty teaching her. Excitement, nervousness, and fear all warred within her. She was completely oblivious to what was going on around her, or any of Ty’s further explanations. The only thought in her mind was that she would get to do what she had always wanted to, but never been allowed. Of course the idea that someone like Ty would be teaching her caused her to be half-nauseous and half-terrified. These thoughts swirled in her head as they walked, to the exclusion of anything else. Nothing further that Ty said even remotely sunk in. She nodded politely but that was the extent of it.

Nate on the other hand was paying rapt attention. He knew instinctively he would have to learn fast and he also knew Nalia wasn’t paying a lick of attention. He would have to tell her everything later when she got her head out of the clouds. When Ty asked what he wanted to do he was stumped. No one had ever actually given a crap about what he wanted to do. He had no answer ready.

“I do not know” he said softly “I don’t have any talents like my sister. Unless winning money cheating at cards counts as a talent.”

He said it half joking, trying to get Nalia to roust from her daydream. It didn’t work. He had never told Nalia that he had been doing just that recently. He had to. Every penny his father made went to paying for doctors for their mother. If Nate hadn’t taken to sneaking off once in awhile to gamble, and win, they wouldn’t have had any food. He shook his head when Nalia didn’t even glance his way. She was well and truly gone into daydreams.

“Kidding” he said pleasantly to Ty, not wanting to admit the truth. “Just trying to figure out where my sisters mind is. You have to deal with that if you teach her you know. She’s gone all giddy. She does it occasionally. I would warn you about speaking of horses, cute teenage boys, and well I guess you can’t avoid talking about gymnastics. I help her with her math homework and apparently there is a cute boy that sits beside her; anytime she starts to think about him I can’t get a coherent word from her for at least 10 minutes.”

Nalia would have been mortified to hear her brother speaking about her this way, but she was so far gone into daydreams that there was no danger of that. Nate kept his tone pleasant and conversational but he listened intently to everything as Ty spoke. He categorized everything she said, to peruse it later and commit it further to memory. He was worried about what he was supposed to do however; he didn’t really have any real talents. He loved magic, stage magic and street magic, the kind that relied on dexterity and the slight of hand. Maybe he could come up with something along those lines. He would need to learn though…he could probably teach himself but he needed books.

His thoughts, and Nalia’s, were shaken when they encountered the troll, Grog. For both youngsters the troll was something entirely unseen before, and completely floored them. Still his pleasant nature put Nate a little more at ease and he actually greeted the troll politely. Nalia was still uncertain and would have said nothing if Nate hadn’t elbowed her sharply. She muttered a brief greeting but the uncertainty in her wide gray eyes never let up. Still her thoughts had been shaken from her daydreams and she was able to focus on the rest of Ty’s tour. The mention of gathering souls both children’s eyes seemed to darken. Nate understood completely what he had agreed to do, Nalia was still uncertain but she knew it was bad.

Neither let on their thoughts, though there would be great discussion in their tent later that night--about everything from mother to their new lives and everything in-between. That was a discussion to be held in private however. Somehow both knew they would need to present some sort of strong front here, for while Ty seemed pleasant enough it also seemed clear that some of those she had warned them of were exactly the sort of people who might take advantage of them. Nalia would not allow that, she would deal with what had to be dealt with as it came, but she would not allow anyone here to mistreat them. Not while she drew breath anyway. Nate had similar thoughts, but he was not a direct confrontational person—in fact it was the only thing about his sister he really had a problem with. He preferred to ignore or plan some secret retaliation and Nalia’s constantly intense reactions sometimes got on his nerves.

Nalia looked at Ty when she mentioned training. Forcing her thoughts to what had to be done she nodded at Ty.

“I shall be ready whenever you like Miss Ty but I’d like to start as soon as your ready. It’s been a long time, I’ve a lot of catching up to do. I stopped gymnastics about 3 years ago; I’m pretty stiff and weak right now. If you tell me where to practice I can work on my own for awhile, I’ll need to build up my wind and limber up my body some before I can really start working at it again. Nate can spot me so that’s ok. Just tell me where to go.”

Nate had vanished during this time, entering what was to be their quarters. It looked like a hospital. Two plain rooms, empty of all but a bed. And it was very very white. He shuddered a bit. He was glad they could change it up some, this would be awful if he had to sleep in all that bright sterile looking white. It was like the room his mother stayed in at the house.

Returning to Ty and Nalia he looked concernedly at Ty. He had been thinking about what she had said, about needing to put on compelling performances.

“Ill try and think of something to do” he said “but I’m not sure there’s anything I can do. I’m not a performer of any sort.” He was a little worried now. He had assumed things would be simple but it was a much more complex situation than he had at first assumed.

“Thank you for everything Miss Ty. We will try not to disturb you.” He planned to ask her about magic books the next day but not right away. C’mon Lia,” he said addressing his sister who was looking as worried as he felt “maybe you can help me figure out something.”

Imalia

Imalia the siren remained with webbed fingers against the glass, her weave of fire coral hued hair fluttering like a butterflies wing beat about her shoulders and face with the softly churned water. Gills fluttered revealing a beautiful pearly pink underside and releasing a wave of crystalline bubbles into the tank which rose with all the hues a human’s eye could see before bursting at the surface like a child’s dreams upon adulthood. Her long tail wove slowly around her causing the light currents that stirred her hair. Her imposing glass tank stood at least twelve feet tall and five feet both wide and deep, the intricate nature of the brass panels now lost to time but faint outlines could still be seen even as water droplets ran down the side like the faux tears of their captive inside. Each pane of glass was lovingly polished and cleaned before the show so not a smear or streak marred view of the Duchess of the deeps.

Of course it was always a pain for her tank to be moved when the carnival moved on to pastures new but they always seemed to manage. A strong man and a freak were all necessary to load her up and move her along and if she batted her lashes just so and pursed her lips just right they’d even polish the glass so she shone like a diamond in the rough. Out here with the freak show, the talents that could performed, strong men and bearded ladies, glass eaters and sword swallowers, it was they, the ‘freaks’ that drew in the crowds. While debating the big top there was plenty for mortal and supernatural alike to feast their depraved little eyes on until their greed overpowered them and they went falling into the big top like fat water drops on a spider’s web. Without them their numbers would likely not be as great inside night after night, they were the hors d’oeuvres to a classical main course that tantalised and amazed.

Not that she hadn’t and didn’t perform inside the big top, everyone could and did at one stage or another, it was part of the splendour of the show. The spotlight just wasn’t’ for her, the screaming crowd, the smell of the foul food they ate, the stench of their filth, all the while them treating her as some kind of porpoise. She could bend her body like a contortionist, she could dance in the waters when given the chance, she could even disappear within a pool only to jump out close to the crowd and give them a delightful fright. Was this though what they wanted? No, they wanted her to jump hoops or balance a ball on her nose, it was insulting to say the least and while she’d humour the request of the ‘sweet’ Mr. Seil she much preferred the open sky and stars, the fresh air and the comparative quiet this gave her.

There was just one thing the big top offered her that out here did not –aside the limelight-, tap, tap, tap. For minutes now this red haired, freckled faced child had been licking her sacrine sweet lollipop and sticking her sticky fingers all over the glass tank, alternating between tapping and knock and sending rather painful shockwaves across her gills. How she longed to slip her tail from the water and wrap it around the little girls throat, she often found herself wondering what colour humans turned when they were choked rather than drowned, she assumed it would be a similar hue of purple red but she was yet to be allowed to try it.

Tap tap tap the horrid little monster was grinning a toothy grin at her, it’s big green eyes wide as if it had just had every wish and dream granted at once, as if everything life could have offered it from this point on would pale in comparison. Imalia simply smiled that deceivingly darling smile and her own forest green eyes peered full of innocence and kindness into the child’s own. How long was this brat going to stand there staring like an ugly ornament at her with that disgusting pudgy face of hers. It was beginning to irritate her and while she was quite accustomed to playing her fairy tale role for the mortals her face was starting to hurt from all the smiling she was having to do. The parents of this thing clearly wished to leave, she could hear their muffled voices from under the water, probably arguing about how the male had been ogling the nude siren for the last five minutes.

Not that she cared, she had higher standards than mortals and while an extra soul would be wonderful to hand over to the ever greedy Mr. Siel she’d rather not have to pretend while that brat was still spreading its filth up her tank. Neither of the parents were looking at the child anymore, even if the woman was tugging at the child who seemed to have all but glued herself to the siren’s tank. In fact the horrid little tailless monkey seemed to be winding itself closer, its rotten breath steaming up the glass. There really was only one thing for it, the coy, sweet mermaids fin fluttered in front of its face like a geisha’s fan, when it pulled away the sharp rows of shark like teeth that replaced the more human ones mermaid’s were depicted with here were bared in a vicious snarl as she rushed the glass.

It had the desired effect, the rotten brat screamed so loud she could feel it throughout her tank and with a hatefully amused grin she watched as it ran clutching its mothers skirts rubbing snot and tears into the pointless fabric. With another pass of her fins she was but smiling sweetly and slowly uncoiling from the bottom of her tank. Once again the man ape’s eyes trailed as her svelte upper body danced before his gaze, chains rattled as shackled wrists reached up for the top of the tank, delicate webbed fingers wrapping about the bronzed sides as she slowly pulled herself up. She could hear the woman now, hurling abuse and insults and further breaking the dreams of the child, her gills closing as she surfaced allowing her to breath functionally through lips and nose. As her hair, slicked back by water and silken in appearance, breached the rim she heard the insults directed towards her and as her arms folded casually across the top of her gilded cage tilted her head in what passed for confusion.

It wasn’t uncommon for humans to assume that her being part fish meant she was slow or perhaps ignorant but every word resonated in what the cold water creature had for a heart and when the moment was just right she flicked her tail fin just so. A rush of water escaped the glass tank and soaked both child and mother who both began to wail even as the man ape began to laugh. More words were said that she cared little for, releasing the tanks edge she sunk back into the waters, her fins used to hide her from prying eyes of guests. The man ape arguing the watery creatures defence, the child screaming and the woman threatening the three monkey’s left the circus all of which would have a precious memory to treasure, even if it wasn’t a good one.

When they were thoroughly out of sight the siren twisted her lower half aside, the fins pressing against the glass so she might stare up at the sky through her rippling watery roof. This was perhaps the best part of the carnival, this hour or so before everyone scrambled to their stations, where they just rested and enjoyed the feeling of a ‘job well done’. The whole place was likely to erupt into action later, with certain acts meeting up to discuss work or ideas, drink or tell stories. She’d listen from here, life was tricky when you had to remain within a tank, the shackles didn’t help her social life overly, though every now and then she’d have more company than she could stand. One had a secret they needed someone to keep, or a problem they needed to be heard out and not be offered crack pot advice to a sleazy joke in response.

Stretching her arms above her as much as the manacles allowed she made herself comfortable, or as much as she could, against the tanks cold glass bottom. Alone with just the sky and her water the siren allowed herself a moment to relax, a hum rose from her throat and filtered into the waters around her, breaking their delicate ripples from time to time as a snippet rather than a melody. Which, all things considered, was probably a good thing for Imalia hardly attempted to filter her ‘gift’ from clients or from her comrades, it was a lot of effort for little reward in her opinion. The notes that broke the waters strung a rather melancholy story but below the water where the vibrations were heaviest it was both sad and beautiful, though Imalia herself displayed no grief or upset, in fact the stoic siren remained just that, unaffected. One set of fingers retrieved her little pendant and she caressed the stone that made its centre idly with her thumb. Yes, tonight was shaping up to be a fine night, as long as she could get fed at some point.

Eikki smiled in delight as his boss opened up a small box containing cigars. The merfolk had smoked cigars in the past, however, sometimes the sweet smell made him nauseous. He preferred the charred, burnt, woody smell of his own cigarettes; of course, made by men and filled to the brim with all kinds of pollutants and trash, but the merfolk minded not, for his physiology denied all side effects of such a poisonous vice. However, when the smoke from Reficul's cigar reached his nostrils, Eikki could not help but take a deep breath, inhaling it. The smeel was that of some kind of exotic fruit, from a jungle never stared upon by mortals. Sweet, a tiny bit acid, yet when combined with flame that lit it, produced a delightful incense smell. Mr. Reficul was indeed a man of good taste: both for his vices and his women.

As if his thoughts had been made true by some cruel god of old, the knock at the door would bring much more than an annoying faerie inside Reficul's tent. As Eikki was taking a deep drag of his cigarette, the words his boss had spoken to him filling his head and producing a feeling of satisfaction in his gut, Mr. Seil rose up from his leathery throne, to see to the importunate faerie. Eikki would not have risen up from his comfrotable seat, smoke and drink, however a soft and undeniably alluring whelp came from behind him. Rosalina had been startled awake.

The merfolk stood up and faced his fate. There she was, in all her beauty, impecably presented in a perfect form: Rosalina. Her light filled Eikki's eyes, his pupils dilated to the point where one would guess he turned into a great white shark when in merfolk form. A couple steps forward he took, only to find mr. Seil's dog, Dimuegos, barking at the door. The next words he heard would lead to something that would keep him awake at night, that would deny his sleep, that would fill his lungs with smoke from uncountable cigarettes throughout the dark and haze his mind with the strongest liquor he could find in his tent.

“Rose you remember Eikki?”

"Yes, of course!"

"Stay with him for a moment..."

The rest of whatever Reficul had spoken was lost forever inside his mind. Her voice filled his ears as the beauty in front of him smiled warmingly at his sight. If Eikki were just a tiny bit more of a lunatic, he would firmly believe the woman had feelings for him. But someone so beautiful, smiling so uncaringly at him in front of her husband could only mean one thing: his hold over her was absolute and uncontestable. Of course, it went without saying that Eikki would not dare to taint her sense of smell with the filth of his cigarettes; he was completely aware of how disgusting his vice could be to some people. And so, using his arcane magic, Eikki vaporized the cigarette butt in his hand, the act emitting a soft spark and a crackling sound.

Reficul left, and Eikki was completely helpless, a complete hostage to the woman in front of him. She graciously made her way across the room, every movement and expression being unbelievably beautiful to his eyes. Her cuteness was only outmatched by her sheer beauty: even expressions that were meant to seem ugly, in her, failed miserably. Her every move, every glance, every expression, was like a painting,a photography, forever to be engraved into the blond man's mind.

"Mind not if I speak do you? For Reficul never voiced that I wasn’t permitted to speak..."

Her words were like music to the merfolk's ear. He took a soft bow, his glance moving downwards to free him, if only a bit, from the hold she had over him. His only spark of light in the dark life he led, Rosalina was starting to mean much more to him than he had antecipated. "I'm...i'm unwillingly surrendering myself to this woman. As did all who came before me. But i cannot. It will be my death. he thought to himself, though his lips voiced something else. "Absolutely not, Lady Rosalina. I'd much rather hear you speak than bore you with my ramblings." he said, looking back up and staring deeply into that woman's eyes, with the warmest smile had had ever given anyone.

Their conversation proceeded in a rather pleasant manner. Rosalina's looks and stares made Eikki feel wanted as much as his glances at her made her feel beautiful. Yet the merfolk was desperately trying to build a wall around his heart. "I will allow myself to like her. I'll allow myself to talk to her, to stare at her, to think of her, to smile to her and to laugh at her jokes, i will allow myself to comment on her beauty and to make her feel wanted in a way Reficul is unable to. But i will not, never, allow myself to love this woman. For letting myself open up to this angel, i already am a dead man. From the moment the beast stares at the beauty, he is already dead, and the same has just happened to me, i just signed my death sentence. But if i must go, i shall go with my dignity intact. I will not love another man's woman. My loyalties lie with the demon, not with his lover." he thought to himself as Rosalina talked away to her heart's desire, Eikki apparently paying full attention to every word she said. His smile and the way he looked at her betrayed his wanting, his desire to make feel wanted by him in such a burning fashion that would be considered a sin under the eyes of his godess. Yet, he betrayed nothing more than that. Rosalina was unable to see under this uncommon warm friendship he was showing her. She could not see the war he was waging against himself.

---

As she was disturbed by a knock in the door, thinking it be her beloved one, Eikki promptly stood up and followed her. Her comment about that door left him startled. Yet, he could not bring himself to feel disgusted by Reficul's iron grip on her. In his place, Eikki would do the absolute same thing, if not worse. "Of course, m'lady...i'll open her up." he said, with a warm smile and a wink at her.

The sight that was brought upon his eyes and the events that unfolded next was what kept him awake that night.

"Oh winged sister of the Azure how dost not perceive how immoral thou actions be? Here you stand before me, one of the many princesses of the Azure angels, as an Arch One. Oh how wrong it be. Ought to question thy’s recently blossomed friendship with thou – I ought to, yes. For this… you… shall not befall me. I shall not let it stain me. Contamination be infectious."

"Rosalina, darling! Away, away from her, darling! Come here right away!"

A mix of feelings assaulted Eikki like a tsunami. Yet, being a merfolk, swimming was his most proeminent ability. Without a split second of hesitation, Eikki metamorphosed into his aquatic form; his body assuming a dark green tone, his skin becoming wet and glistening under whatever light hit him. Fins appeared on his forearms and back, his hair and beard turned into tentacles, their tips glowing in a soft light blue tone. The lower part of his body turned slender and legless, giving him the aspect of a half-snake. His eyes pitch black, such dark abysses that no reflection could be seen upon them, only darkness. His left arm turned into a coral monstrosity, yet, even without the lantern, it was not just a useless limb. Even before his transformation was complete, the angel called Celleci had a sharp coral blade pressing against her Adam's apple. His arm answered his every command, and his command was to stop that angel from harming his dear Rosalina. The blade, thirty inches in lenght, was translucent, the light that hit it refracted to the wall, exploding in the colors of the rainbow. Even though the sword was made of coral, it looked like an exotic form of glass, only found under the depths of the sea.

Andracos' remark on the angel and on himself had not gone unnoticed. Eikki had taken only but a quick glance at the two of them, to find Rosalina holding hand with that brat that called her his darling. Yet his eyes diverted back to CeCi, and when the words came out, they didn't betray his predatory mouth. His beauty had been made exotic by his transformation, yet his sharp teeth and tongue made for penetrating his prey's skin were not visible, hid under more human, well formed teeth.

With anger filling him and tying a painful knot in his gut, Eikki spoke to Andracos first. "Silence your treacherous mouth, siren, for i am not one of childish play, nor do i need to explain myself to you. Rosalina was, and still is, under my care, so do not make the mistake of fooling yourself: in the current game, you are nothing but a pawn, even if you think you are the knight in shining armor. Begone Andracos, release us from the disgust of your presence.". Eikki hoped that the words he had flung towards the siren were enough; not make him go away, but to spark his rage. It was all he wanted.

Without ever taking his eyes off CeCi, he now adressed to her. His blade was touching her skin, pressing forward against her neck. She would not move anywhere unless Eikki permitted her to do so. Putting a bit more pressure on the blade, his rose his voice high so that everyone around, not only the avenging angel in front of him, would hear. "What is the meaning of this treachery, Celleci? you are not one of tricks and deceit, nor one of murder, this much i know. Explain yourself right now. Do not force my hand, for Andracos made sure my to wear my patience even thinner than before.". Eikki released a bit of pressure from his sword, just enough to give the woman room to move her head freely. "I cannot kill on carnival grounds, but i can make sure to have you carried over to your tent with a hole in your neck."

With that said, Eikki kept his coral arm pressing against the angel's soft skin, waiting eagerly for the lady knight's reply. It would not take long before Reficul had returned, and, the way things looked, Eikki was not satisfied with. Andracos would lie to no extent to make him look like a savior, a saint, where he was nothing more than a disgusting snake taking advantage of the situation. The merfolk could only hope his loyalty to mr. Seil would weight more than any words Andracos could utter.

Jing Lao

Lao was a quiet person both in nature and demeanor, to hear his footfalls would be a strain on even the keenest ears as if he disturbed neither leaf nor twig nor the wind itself as he moved through the open expanses like a ghost in the night. It was not unusual for the seamstress -as he was known through the circus tent, no doubt a certain mans idea at humour but it fazed him not- to walk the grounds at night though it was not for patrol or merry making. Lao often enjoyed the quiet of the night, the soft sounds of whatever wildlife they happened to be camped with and the warm glow of the stars above, the soft feel of the wind on his skin or at times the rain if he was lucky. It was dry today though and the walk was pleasant, as often he did he checked on the performers he'd finished darning clothes and silks for, checking that their outfits held and survived the tension of whatever act they had performed. More often than not there was not a stitch out of place but sometimes, for new designs, there would be a small flaw that would need rectifying. Tonight for example the strong man, donned in his new silken outfit, had torn the crotch of his trousers, nothing the audience had noticed mind for the silk ripped as silently as he who wove it walked and yet it was indeed something that needed rectifying.

So with needle in one hand and garment delicately draped across the other the spinster was already fixing the little tear in his garment and doubling the stitching inside of the legs while humming a soft, warm tune to himself. The quiet was something they rarely got to enjoy, a lull between the audience leaving and the preparations for the night and it seemed few truly appreciated such silent beauty and as was usual the golden silence was shattered by the sound of raised voices. As if the sound itself was on a wire beneath his feet Lao felt the vibrations before he even heard the voices and yet still he jumped in surprise, slipping with needle and puncturing the pale skin of one index finger. A fresh drop of sanguine welled to the surface angrily and with a small, albeit brief frown Lao looked to it and then sucked the offending digit clean before returning to his sewing. He did though make a rather sharp turn in his otherwise graceful and placcid walk and slipped inside his own pitched tent.

It was nothing beautiful or grandoise, there was a cot on which several blankets, thick furs -for he got indescribably cold at night no matter what he tried to do- lay bundled across. A small leather bound chest which served as his work station which was suitably cluttered with work tools and necessities while his steel ring lay against the wooden support of the frame. Several dark coloured silks hung from the tents ceiling, trapping the heat in and the cold air out and giving it a friendlier feel while all the same a feeling of a spiders home. The floor was covered in tatami style, bamboo mats and atop these at the far side of the 'room' were the various costumes he was working on and his own little shoulder bag of things, hair brush, change of clothes, a second pair of slippers for performing in and so on. His prize though he lightly tugged from under his bed and set to using immediately, a look of utter peace and tranquility wasted on an empty room.

With steps as light as a dragonfly he slipped through the glass, steaming teapot balanced on a beautiful wooden board. Several cups, saucers and small round white treats that looked rather oddly squishy resided in his arms. For those who had been invited to his tea service before they would recognize these little balls as mocchi, a sweet, sticky treat filled with a fruit flavoured surprise and dusted lightly in sugar powder. The steam from his pot had, for those of discerning taste, a rather fennel like scent to it, while the earthenware crockery smelled a little more like peppermint, the tea of his last guests choosing. With quiet steps and an unhurried pace the shifter quietly followed the thrumming vibrations in the ground, of course, he hardly needed such for Andracos' voice carried rather well, which he possibly already knew and was the whole point. He did so love his little drama's, though often Lao found himself wondering as to why, he'd never ask though, never even show such a curiousity for such would be rather rude and may indeed add fuel to the fire that was Andracos' self-loathing, or was it self-love?

Either way the petite effeminate man rounded a last corner and spotted the scene unfolding before him and inwardly he grimaced to himself, it seemed every night there was a new drama, a volatile little explosion that was bound to happen when so many people of varying origins and paths converged in such small quarters. Glancing to the individuals one by one he was not surprised by the presence of any but the angel Rosalina, his heart skipped a beat as he set his eyes upon her but with a faint, almost sorrowful smile he removed his attention. Pretty little thing like any caged bird but she had little sway over his heart when he was ready for her, despite this he was rather fond of her gentle ways and her innocent nature and indeed of her and thus he came to the conclusion that such a dear should not see such acts of hostility among family.

Swords always set him rather on edge if he were honest and perhaps he hesitated a moment longer than he felt he should but one who had eyes on him would see barely a falter in his own graceful steps which lead him first behind, then beside and finally in front of the most volatile member of this unhappy circumstance. Offering Andracos a brief, disarming smile of genuine camaraderie he then glanced to the other two, the angel Ceci and the Merfolk Eikki. "Oh dear me there you all are starting the party without me? I'd feel hurt if I didn't know you all better." There was a softness to his voice that spoke of no hostility, in fact by the tranquility and compassion in his tone one would have to wonder if he was even capable of anger let alone hostility. With the gentle mannerisms stereotypical of his homeland he placed the tray on the top most step of the caravan currently the center of the ruckus. "You don't mind do you? It's quite heavy after a while and it's rather hard to pour tea and balance the tray."

He seemed to 'only then' notice the swords and did a slow -but elaborate- double take. "Oh no no no, this will never do." Lightly taking up one of the sweet squishy deserts, about the size of an american gumball he easily flipped up onto the railing used to steady oneself up and down the stairs. Crouched there he pressed the sweet dessert not forcefully mind, to Eikki's lips. "Say ahh?" He cooed in a gentle tone void of sarcasm or an abundance of mirth, just enough to show his good intentions rather than to cause mockery or disgrace. "Such a nasty business weapons. Don't you think? Always creating more problems than they solve." He leaned close to drop his voice to a spidery whisper, "Like scaring a darling angel perhaps? Not things for ladies to see." Leaning back again and should the treat be taken he casually rolled backwards onto his feet back on the grass, pirouetting flawlessly to press another little piece of mocchi to Andracos' lips, once again his voice a quiet whisper for just the dramatic ones ears. "Can't imagine Mr. Seil would be too happy about all this either." Before beaming brightly and honestly again, tilting his head slightly to offer a wink to the sweet, half hidden, Rosalina.

Lao abhorred violence though he wasn't unaccustomed to it since arriving here, it seemed every other day there was another injury or another, to the crew or the audience, it had left him with rather good reflexes ones that, if needs be, might aid in their angel situation. One now just had to hope both Andracos and Eikki were accepting of the China-man's administration of candy and didn't take it as an offence, it would though be a rather ironic twist that the pair might bond over a shared anger at Lao. Offering Rosalina a piece of mocchi he could only wait for the outcome of his little stunt, things didn't often turn out as planned when he stepped between a fight but often more times than not, be it just because Lao was in the way or not, things were diffused before blood was drawn. Never though had he stepped between such large ego's as he had just now though and while nervous on the inside he only reflected his odd calm tranquility and that disarming smile on the outside. "I think we could all do with a cup of tea, don't you? I'm sure our employer will be back any minute to settle this...problem? Hmm?"

As Ty departed, she added on to Nate's comment. "Do not fret. Your first few weeks will be lax enough. As for pertaining to magic, I'd recommend you seeing Andracos. He's quite versatile, and has done a magic show recently." To Nalia she responded, "Tomorrow then. I'll show you were you can practice, and explain the basics." She seemed eager enough to begin, so there was no point to keep her waiting. With a nod as a final goodbye, Ty was on her way to inform one of her authoritative figures that her job had been done. Her pace was slow, having a feeling Mr. Seil would more than likely be caught up with more important affairs. After all, if he had sent a letter to her, there were probably more letters sent to various in the Carnival.

A feeling of disapproval settled in her being as she walked along toward, the Wish Master's tent. There was a few times that feeling settled, and that was normally when angered customers of the carnival got a little violent. Luckily, they had wonderful bodyguards to fix that problem. This offset was hostility towards each other. Meaning, it was something Ty would not involve herself in. Many were strong within the Carnival, and Ty knew her place. There was probably no need for her assistance anyway. Either that, or the paranoia about the recent disappearances had rose again. The air elemental turned toward Mr. Seil's tent, but turned to walk a different direction. It was the same goal, just a longer route, giving time to anyone who had more important things to discuss.

It appeared that her judgement was off. Seil was indeed where she suspected, but no one was confronting him of anything. Well, this didn't stop her from gliding over to the Wish Master. Her steps never made a sound as she walked on her toes. Being a trapeze artist, it became a natural habit, but being made of air, she was always light on her feet. To make sure her presence was known, she cleared her throat before she began to speak to Mr. Seil. "Excuse me sir, if I may borrow a bit of your time." She paused for a gesture for her to continue. Once she received such, she continued. "I received your letter regarding the two new recruits. Nalia and Nathan. Both are well informed of where everything is, and of the wide variety of creatures they have a chance to meet." Obviously, it meant a small forewarning about ones like Vol or Andracos. Ty crossed her arms under her chest as she continued. "Nalia will begin her training with me tomorrow. She was eager to begin, so I offered to start sooner than later. Nathan on the other hand is still searching for his talent. He mentioned being a magician, so I offered Andracos' name." Before she asked the question she had, she also added. "I've also spared them the details of the recent...incidents." She hesitated as she tried to find an appropriate word for it. "I didn't want them to be fearful on their first day."

As Mr.Seil spoke, she listened, retained, and made sure that any other task would be accomplished if he asked. When he was done, she looked back to his tent and then spoke, a little softer. "If I may ask... But, may I see Rosalina? I think she would like a recent update of the latest from the carnival. I haven't been able to keep her up to date like normally since she is always inside." Ty waited a reply, fully prepared to be fine with a rejection, but upon hearing him say yes, a small smile appeared on her features. "Thank you." She gave a small nod, before taking herself and the gentle breeze that came with her, off to his tent. Rosalina already knew of the incidents, at least Ty assumed as much. So, she decided to speak on everyone's acts and the new ones. The incidents didn't need to be brought up anyway because she didn't like the subject anyway.

Opening one door, Dimuegos was quietly asleep on the lavish couch. She smiled softly, giving him a small rub on the head as she continued. He glanced up with a sleepy smile before returning to sleep. Ty heard the sound of others, which she didn't mind the familiar voices. She couldn't make out what their conversation was about, but she knew Rosalina wasn't inside as she expected. Ty followed the sounds of the voices only to be led outside again. Once she found them, she began to speak, although it was quickly interrupted by the sight before her. Weapons drawn and angry glares were not expected when she walked in. Calmly, with raised eyebrow, Ty cleared her throat. "Rosalina, I've been told that I can give you another update of the Carnival... I don't know what's taking place here... But would you like to- come out and listen? Unless...this," Ty gestured toward the weapons and the others. "Is a little more important." 'Would you like me to save you from the mess they are making?' Ty thought to herself.
She made no eye contact with the others, not wanting to get involved in what they were doing. To the elemental, it was best to keep out of it and hope they resolved the matter before Mr. Seil did. She was a little surprised to see Eikki, CeCi, and Andracos pitted against each other. Sure she knew of their lack of fondness, but it was always contained and it never escalated to things such as fights.

Seeing Lao as calm as ever, just as normal, Ty gave a small nod to him and then returned her gaze to the pretty angel. "I'm sure, an angel such as yourself doesn't want to be around them as they settle their differences, yes? We can go sit with Dimuegos while we talk." Her emphasis on 'settle their differences' was hopefully caught, because she didn't want any of them, including Andracos, to get into any trouble. "Lao, you're welcomed to join as well." She added, wavering a few steps away, not willing to step foot into such commotion. This was more than likely that feeling of disapproval she had felt earlier.

"Treachery... my blade lowered and yours at my throat. Treachery? Is that what this is, Eikki...?"

The angel's voice reverberated from her golden aura, motes of lights dancing away from her robed form, dancing with the slight inflections as she spoke. The accent was CeCi's but the tone and sound of the words were not; Celleci spoke with much emotion, just like any female angel. The golden winged thing before Eikki spoke with even temperment and composure of one who knew wisdom of the Ancients in the Azure. Even the size and stature of this form was greater than that of Celleci; one may even mistake the angel for a male, lest they be of Light from the Azure and see past the void the glowing cowl that concealed the female face of the angel that was not Celleci right now.

“You say you know this angel... 'not one for tricks nor deceit,' and yet you would dare place wicked blade upon an angel demanding answers first even before speaking with an angel you say you know...? Oh but such a sad state of affairs becomes this Carnival neath the shadow of doubts and darkness, no?”

The half-siren kneeler, Andracos had called out with its melodic voice and in less than a heartbeat, brushing past the two weapon wielders was the glowing, slight female angel, Rosalina Bell. Of course, she would seek protection for she was an angel, a female angel of Mercy. But was it truly the threat of physical violence that brought her to the waiting arms of the slimy viper and away from an ArchAngel? What was it that Celleci who was not Celleci right now saw in those heavenly eyes? What was it that went unsaid between the two angels that made the former ArchAngel's blade flicker momentarily?

Contamination.

But nay, not from Celleci alone. Nay and a promise.

“You will not answer to Andracos and neither will this angel answer to you. The reason for coming to Mr. Seil's wagon was because of summons from his own flighted message. What gives you right to stand in the abode of the Wish Master and become transgressor, Eikki? What is it that you think will make an angel proceed to a Wish Master's home in full regalia, weapon drawn but not poised for battle? Was there not a knock at the door first? So then... what is it you truly wish to protect, Eikki? Rose Bell or your own pride? Please do tell then. What is it that makes this angel your enemy...?”

A sigh as thoughts turned to Rosalina Bell Seil.

You see me for what this angel truly is. You know see what your sister was in the Azure. That station was not meant for this angel's bloodline. But earned was it in immortal life. Inspired by your beloved mother was this angel to rise beyond any ceiling crafted by the Kingdom to contain female angels. Judged by thine own father, a male in grand regard and station, was this angel and blessed was she when thine own father gave the deciding vote for this angel, this female angel to rise and become sister in a station meant for only brother angels. Dost thou with heavenly eyes see contamination most deviant and twisted, sister? With what eyes dost thou see thine own winged sister, Rose Bell? You see me with the eyes of an old Kingdom. You do not see me with your eyes proper, but with a mind bred in captivity knowing only how an angel, a female angel should be contained by all Mercies held, lost or otherwise.

You question my wings. You see me as contaminated. Nay, and again nay for all eternity, sister. It is you who has been contaminated.

The sounds of another involving themselves in the stand-off. Enter the perfectly timed interference of the smiling and ever-friendly Jing Lao.

“Only enemies hold blades at each others throats, Eikki...” the reverberating voice still shone, intertwining and swirling with the golden dancing motes about her flowing robes and shining blade. But the tone, the sadness that Eikki alone seemed to recognize returned to the voice of the ArchAngel before him. “If an ArchAngel ever wanted to attack another angel, be rest assured that the other angel would never be Rosalina Bell Seil. Golden purity and Breath of First Days was she to me. Oh, but laughable it is. Not this situation, not in the least... but us right here, Eikki, right now. For three years, in this mortal time--”

“Say Ahh...” said the contortionist and Celleci who was not Celleci right now made her move. She was done with their little confrontation; it was time for action now. But not before she aired out her final thoughts.

“--in all those years, Eikki, as short or as long as they may be, but how laughable is it...” beyond the void neath her cowl, could he see the silver eyes of the Celleci he knew in this moment? “...that this is the most we have ever spoken to each other...”

As the sweetened goods were raised to Eikki's mouth, Celleci who was not Celleci right now closed a fist and the force of Wind focused upon the threatening and frightening appendage of Eikki and held it away from her throat long enough to allow another blast of Wind blow in the other direction and fill her wings, sweeping her backwards, up and away into the air nary a mark upon her person. No blood drawn could be forgiven, especially since he was not a kneeler, but another lost soul like herself; they were both truly just ink upon parchment in this Carnival afterall. Aye. And again Aye.

Robes fluttered in the winds, arms spread out parallel with her shoulders, glowing and shining aura daring to chase away the darkened skies. Oh, she was but a beacon of hope for none in this Carnival of Souls. What did she inspire then; for she was still female and as an angel that should be enough to draw trouble and incite the ways of darkness against her. She was a sickly sweetness to most, an annoying righteous Mercy to the rest.

The grasses puffed up, lit up and graced by golden hues as she landed in front of handsome, sinister slick Andracos and the beautiful, radiant beauty from the Azure, Rosalina. What she inspired reflected from the heavenly eyes of that angel in front of her. Never did she think she would ever see the day...

Your mind has been poisoned to believe that what this angel has become is abnormal and should be abhorred. Thoughts to rescue you from the Wish Master flooded and consumed this angel's mind. But it truly is not the Wish Master that cages you, is it? Truly it is not the Wish Master that owns your golden prison.

All love does this angel hold for you, Rosalina... you are First Breath of Days. You are my in my heart and thoughts for always. You inspired this angel to take steps closer to happiness. You will always be my sister. Even if we cannot be friends. Even if you deem me deviant and unfit for such a station reserved for only males of our kind.

But you are content to keep your mind in such a state; 'Rose Bell is an angel and that is how all angels should act and be.' And even with the might of an ArchAngel fighting for them, none may be saved if it is their wish to eternally keep and fortify the walls of their own durance made of closed minded thoughts and passive soul. And so all this ArchAngel can inspire now is--

“Shame... is that truly what you say to me, Andracos?”

A kneeler he was, but the golden blade in her talons still held low, stilled without any aggression. Never did she think she would ever see the day...

“Shame. Agreed. Aye, and again aye, Andracos. Shame but not for this angel alone. Shame on you for luring the Wish Master's cherished wife and jealously loved one out and away from the safety of their abode. Shame on me for ever thinking that it would be respectful to arrive here in full regalia as if it were the very day this angel first met Mr. Seil. And shame for Rosalina.

Never did this angel ever think she would see the day... the day when a glowing angel of Mercy would flee from a radiant ArchAngel and take refuge in the arms of darkness. Know the deeds of the one that holds you, sister? Ask him you should, then judge for yourself when truth be known..

But that is neither here nor there now...”

A sigh. A side step as Ty came forward offering assistance and an out for Rosalina. The quarrel within the ArchAngel was nonexistant. An arm raised and directed back towards the entrance to the wagon; a gesture to show safe passage. And as for Ty... So much for getting Ty to speak with her as friends now. The Air Elemental wanted nothing to do with Celleci it seemed.

“Agreed, Ty. We should get Mrs. Rosalina Bell Seil inside lest we wish to suffer the wrath of Mr. Reciful Seil, Wish Master and owner of our inked names upon parchment...”

A slight nod in the direction of said entrance to encourage them to move with haste. Oh, but she knew that she was open to a full out assault if Eikki attacked right now. But the Merfolk was right. None were permitted to kill upon Carnival grounds. And what did it matter should she be sliced and skewered. The ArchAngel would not die; she would feel much pain but she would heal. Countless times had she endured such pain as a warrior and leader in the War for the Truth and Lies.

That kind of pain would be nothing but a drop in the ocean compared to the depth of hurt she felt when she saw the look in Rosalina's eyes when the angel fled from Celleci and into the arms of Andracos. That kind of wound would be hardest to heal. And although healed, jagged scars would still remain, even upon a heart as strong as the one that beat in the chest of an ArchAngel...

...but for how long will this angel be such a thing? Rosalina you still inspire... for happiness will still found within my lost beloved Weeping Angel. She may only be found now by purity you inspire, yet a purity this angel will never hold...

Behind them she would walk, chin lowered, yet a light smile pulling up at dusky lips hidden behind the void of her cowl.

Nor should this angel hold it to seek out the Weeping Angel that turned to stone. For there is a kind of angel that does still fly in darkness; one that this angel must become for happiness fulfilled.

---

"Imalia...?" said a slurred and chipper voice from a drunken chubby fairy, "you still awake...?"

Multi-coloured wings buzzed as she flitted and floated over to the tank of the sea Siren. She knew better than to knock upon the glass walls so she called out again."Say 'Mali, Jassesi is here and wishes to see you, aye," golden eyes peered into the darkened container, "aye and promise is this Faerie here..."

Wings buzzed a bit louder as she rose to the rim of the container and tucked lose strands of blue hair behind a slightly pointed ear.

"We all celebrate in the Lighting and rigging crew tent... yet CeCi isn't present... went off did I t'find her, but this Faerie was not successful in gettin' her to the party..." a chubby hand moved to gently rest what she carried upon the edge of the glass container without spilling it. JaSi was a Fae of Fire, but it was not so much the heat of flames that she manipulated, it was the intensity of fire's glow; the lumens. But right now, she dared not light anything up; Imalia scared her something fierce.

"And this one knows that you don't leave your place here... dunno if you can... but..." JaSi was scared of the sea-Siren but her jolly goodness was stronger than her fear, "..but 'Mali, this Faerie did bring you something... dunno if you drink, but 'tis a good batch! Amber brewed by Jassesi herself...!"

All that she could here was the slight ripples of water,the buzzing of her wings and the party continuing to rumble on roughshod in the distance. She licked her lips.

"This Faerie can leave it here for you, Imalia... if you like..." she tucked some more unruly blue locks behind and ear then turned to flit away. At the exit, golden eyes popped open and her head popped up and she swiftly turned around, "oh! And somethin' else..!"

From out of her pocket she pulled the silver lined object and she flitted back to the rim of Imalia's container. "'Tis a mirror, 'Mali...! JaSi and the others use it to reflect light to signal each other... well... not much 'tis true...but wanted you to have it did CeCi's aerial crew... maybe call to us... if you're bored... or lonely... or you wanna talk to JaSi... dunno what this Fae tries to say... just drunks... but aye, and again aye, Imalia... drink and a gift should you want them..."

The Fairy lowered herself to the ground and nuzzled her red cheeked cherub face against the darkened glass.

"...toss 'em if ye dinnae want them, but we'll still raise a glass for ye, 'Mali... we do so for all in the Carny... we're family, aye...?" she said softly as her wings buzzed into life again, "Aye and a promise, Imalia... like CeCi says we are all ink upon parchment for Mr. Seil. That is how we are bound."

Jassesi smiled and winked into the darkened waters, waiting a few moments longer before turning away to return to the party.

"Good night, my dear..."

Nate and Nalia watched Ty walk off, the two of them standing in silence with their own thoughts. Such a strange world they had been dumped into, and as they struggled with their own thoughts they unconsciously stood closer together.

For Nalia it was a new beginning; a way out of her own life, a chance to leave the people she hated behind, and possibly a chance to do what she always wanted. She hadn’t counted on that when she stormed into Mr. Seil’s tent. She had been only concerned about protecting her brother. Doing so had opened more doors for her and Nate than she thought possible but it had also tied her to a life that would test her morality in a way she couldn’t comprehend at this moment. For Nate it was nothing more than an obligation and a chance to give his mother her life back. He would work hard, study, learn, do what was required of him without letting it affect him, and then be on his way. He understood the darker side of what he had been roped into but he didn’t see what this would offer him. He too would find his morality tested.

That would be in the future however, now the siblings had some talking to do. Nalia smiled at her brother and he her and they entered their little wagon. Nalia had the same opinion as Nate regarding the sterility of the place. Decorating would be first thing on the agenda tomorrow, a place like this made her want to pull her hair out. For now it would have to work however, they had more important things to deal with.

“Whadaya think Lia?” asked Nate as he flopped on the small chair in the little room that served as their common area.

Nalia looked around and finally settled on sitting cross legged on the floor.

“Don’t know Nate” she said softly “we can do this. We don’t have a choice.” She looked at her brother, her gray eyes meeting his vivid blue. “But its gonna be pretty weird. So what do we need to know?” She asked the question knowing Nate was already ready to tell her what he had learned. He had not only listened to what Ty said but also what she did not say. Nalia never told her brother but his perceptiveness was damn scary sometimes. She hated that her parents kept him down, tied to the house.

Nate smiled, closed his eyes, and began to recite to Nalia what he had learned in their very short time at the carnival. For her part Nalia listened intently. She always understood Nate better than any of her teachers, better than her parents, or almost anyone else she had ever met. He had a way of putting things that she understood.

When he got to his worries about finding an act for himself he opened his eyes.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do Lia” he said softly “I don’t have any real skills like you do. And, well, we are you know, human. Lia, I think there aren’t many other humans working here.”

Nalia nodded. That much she had figured out. She too was worried about her brother but for reasons other than his act. She had no doubt he could find something to do. He was too smart to be stymied for long.

“We will figure out something Nate.”

“Show no weakness unless it is to lure your enemy into a sense of false security” he said absently.

Nalia looked surprised.

“Nate?” she asked softly.

“What I mean Lia is we have to be pretty strong here, that’s never been your problem anyway. If we let them push us around like with the bullies back home they will never stop.”

And so their conversation for that night ended, and Nalia went to her room. Nate however remained where he was, thinking, letting the dark melancholy thoughts swim in his mind as he studied nothing in particular. He would ask for a wei-chi board as soon as possible. He needed the practice and it would help clear his mind. He always thought better when he was focused. Wei-Chi was his meditation though he didn’t call it that and would have been scandalized if someone had suggested it. He wasn’t a floofy person to get all pointlessly “spiritual” and “zen.”

Finally abandoning the idea of resting, he was now more alert than he had been earlier, he rose and left the tent. Without conscious thought he kept to the shadows. The only way he got out at home was to sneak out, and sometimes that involved a lot of hiding. He was actually not bad at it. He was no great stalker, but he was quiet and moved gracefully so that he didn’t draw attention to himself. Even if one knew he was there he wasn’t very noticeable.

He heard the ruckus before he ever saw it and curiosity prompted him to quickly climb a nearby tree. He had said Nalia was good at climbing trees. He hadn’t mentioned he was much better. Up a tree was a great way to hide from a bully, and he was bullied most of his life whenever he went out. Climbing was second nature for him.

He saw the tableau unfold below him, his vivid blue eyes watching everything. He recognized only Ty though a few other’s he remembered from Ty’s little “blurb” as their names were revealed. He was somewhat surprised that Ty recommend Andracos for magical training, from what Nate could see of the man, admittedly his angle was a little skewed, he was a bit…intense. But more than that his manner of speaking would drive him insane before one day was out. The same could be said for the dark arrogant angel, for that is how he saw Ceici, and for the little androgynous chinaman. Talk about a bag of mixed characters. No wonder the carnival did so well, financially. Few others could claim such a wide variety of players.

Nate watched in silence trying to learn what he could about those he was thrown together with. He held no fear, only studious interest. He formed several opinions of those below as he watched, and formed even more questions about his fellow workers. When the tension below seemed to be siphoning off, resolving itself in some way or another, Nate slipped back down from his perch. He had thought to go join Ty, the one person he knew and was in mild awe of, but something held him back. He nervously danced a small pebble across his fingers as he watched the others. He was too shy to introduce himself and too interested in the others to simply walk away.

Imalia,

The darkness was descending, deepening like the jaws of a fearsome predator and she watched with the bored interest of one with little else to do but watch. Soon the carnivals crew and workers would have devolved to drunken, unconscious or dozing masses, only a few would stay alert, security to the edges of this circus. Undoubtedly such security was not for those who dwelt within the circus, bound and shackled by contracts but for those on the outside, the 'innocents' those whose stupidity or curiosity would have them breach the invisible boundary between the carnival and reality. For a while the freaks and acts danced and played but when the show was over they were no more entertainers, stripped of the make up and costumes, they were bare, they were monsters once more and some of them reveled in the freedom the night gave them. Some of them really ought not to be bothered after the show was done.

Imalia remembered vividly the sense of warped pride she had upon seeing the stunned face of her Strongman when, years ago, he came upon the still, blue corpse of a poor unfortunate little mortal. His spine broken at an angle and a chunk of flesh missing from his cheek, blood smeared on her tanks glass and despite demure pout and innocent gaze one could not deny that there was a curious glow to the girl and a faint pink tint to her waters. It was always refreshing for her when people could hazard a guess at what she was capable of, oh she did not have legs like Andracos and she was neither bulschy nor aggressively outspoken as he but in some ways she was more feared than he. For with Andracos what you saw was what you got, his slimy behavior as transparent as her glass but she? Like the Abyss she was spawned in she was a darkness that had yet to be fathomed and when one shone light they saw only a fraction of the whole.

Of course she did not doubt that eventually her secrets would be revealed and the 'mystery' surrounding her would be dispelled but for now it was fun to watch the others squirm and writhe when they uttered her name. She, unlike many here, had no desire to be liked no need to make connections and impress others or regale them with tales of her sad, tragic past that had bought her into the services of one Mr. Seil. She had no burning desire to swoon over Rosalina nor try and entertain the new recruits. Once she had desired all that, when fresh faced and new to this place, before the poison and the bile of Mr. Seil had seeped into her waters and peeled back such hateful, deceitful shells. Another story that Ty no doubt would love to be told, or the China man would sigh over before pouring his blasted tea. One would assume such a life was lonely but they would of course be mistaken, often times the caged woman was entertained by those who spoke to her, whispering their secrets as if in bid to win her favour or simply out of the knowledge that such things were never repeated. She was not utterly without heart, for those that required her aide, be it simply to lose the pesky fan or be freed of other issues were granted -on most occasions- such freedom by her.

Like now for instance, a certain buzzing and dim light had caught her eye and while she had not paid it too much heed its continued presence could mean only one thing, she had a guest to her dark little corner of the carnival. As the buzzing and gentle vibrations continued she lazily unfurled from her lounged position and with a graceful but unhurried sway of her tail she swam towards the top of her waters. She pierced the surface silently, the still waters cascading down her hair which stuck to the sides of her face and framed those usually clear and innocent eyes that looked wholly black like a sharks in this darkness. With no more than eyes and forehead piercing the waters she listened as the creature buzzed and spoke, still and silent the siren remained as gifts were placed on the rim of her tank and then turned to leave.

Seizing her chance Imalia burst forward wrapping one soft, but wet hand around the fae, the first sound to be made the sudden wrenching and snarling of her chains as she moved. Her grip, while unyielding was not constricting of anything of necessity, a practiced predators grip around the fae child's throat. Sharp nails were harmlessly resting against vital vocal chords waiting for an excuse to shred some flesh, like a nile crocodile she slipped closer to the tanks rim, her free hand lifting to wind about the fae's middle while sister chains rattled their disapproval but once more reminded others why she was bound. With gill slits closing she took a deep long breath, rising, with tails help, behind the fae to the shell of her ear where the siren took her first breath of human air. So close to the ear would it be that it's beauty would not be missed, for even in the gentle sigh that followed there was the reason sailors both loathed and loved her kind, an ethereal and dangerous lull in just a breath was far worse when used for words.

Though Imalia had little kindness she showed respect to those whose company she tolerated in a very private way, to which she had not told anyone as of yet, she chose not to speak to those who came to her thus protecting them from her voice and largely -for her body language alone could sway some when she desired it- from her abilities. With tail working beneath the water her bare breasts pressed against the fae's back and her chin rested on the fae's shoulder. Without releasing the poor light girls throat she brushed her arm cross the woman's lap and lifted the offered mirror in one of her dainty hands, turning it so the silver nitrate coated glass would show them both in it's clear surface, a slow smile spreading on the siren's lips.