"Thank you! Thank you! Oh-ho, please! You're too kind, I'm really not that great. Okay, perhaps I am! Thank you!"
The Ringmaster basked in the afterglow of his recent magic trick, blowing kisses and bowing to the pleased crowd.
The audience was a flurry of different races and each one of them praised the man in their own native way. The humans along with the orcs and dwarves stood up from their seats and raised their fists into the air, shouting and chanting in a frenzy of excitement and cheer. The elves and avians shared a mellow personality, standing up to nod solemnly before calmly sitting down in silence. There were a few saurians enjoying the spectacle as well, their lime green and spotted scaly skin set them apart from the dark green and brutish appearance of the orcs, their image more closely resembled that of a bipedal lizard. They are cousins to the Kobold race, sharing the same family of species but the difference was the shift in evolution. The Kobolds more closely resembled feral reptilians with long faces, with osteoderms sprouting from between their brows and aligned down their back to the tip of their spiny long tails. Saurians. simply put, looked closer to humans and elves with matching facial traits including hair, slender noses and a mouth rather than a muzzle. They lacked the pointed scales and developed a smoother scaly surface around their body, with the females having two horns emerging from their forehead to easily tell their genders apart. The males were shorter in height as well, with slender body features compared to the females, that trait was shared between both saurians and kobolds.
But among the crowd sat three individuals who were frightened after what they had seen, or more specifically for who they cannot see. Norowa Reta was stunned, her muscles felt stiff and her thoughts were scrambling for a reason or course of action on what to do next. Janette sat on the opposite side, her mouth wide open but speechless as her eyes frantically danced around that stage, hoping to find their friend reappear any moment. Yes, once the crowd had had enough, the Ringmaster would surely resume his work and bring her back from wherever she had vanished off to. In between the two women sat Felix, he remained eerily quiet but his eyes refused to blink and his hands were turning red from the force of clenching his fists in a tight grip. It was a crowded and public area, he rationalized that it would be in their best interest if he was patient and gave the magician the benefit of the doubt, believing just like his friend that KuliKuli would return shortly.
They soon realized that would not be the case, as four gnome workers re-entered the stage with mops in their little hands, trotting in their short legs before making quick work of mopping the stage floor. Janette spun her head to see Felix had jumped off his seat, making his way toward the center stage as the applause had begun to die out. His cloak flowed behind him as he landed on his feet, descending like a brown cape holding onto his shoulders with a chain holding the fabric around the front of his collar. He approached the Ringmaster with a light pacing until he stepped up onto the stage, with some people observing with intrigue and whispering amongst themselves wondering what was happening or if this was part of the act.
The Ringmaster bared a cheeky smile from ear to ear, amused by the young man's entrance while the gnomes paused and shot a worried glance toward their new guest. The performer simply extended his gloved hand signaling for him to stop, keeping his staff under his other arm with his wand in hand away from view.
"Aaaah my dear fellow, come to congratulate me personally? I'm flattered you see but I don't do handshakes for free. I am afraid you will have to wait until after the show has concluded, thank you."
Felix leaned to one side and eyed his hand with suspicion, noticing an odd design on the back of the glove like ink stained into the white material. It was a symbol that he could not read but one that was widely recognized to enhance the user's focus and control of elemental magic. Practicing elemental magic was fully possible without the use of these symbols but they act like a conductor, a method to maintain focus on the element you wanted to conjure on without the need of using alchemic tools and spell incantations. Perhaps it was due to his naivety as Felix had little to no exposure with the works of magical spells and the like, but he chose to take a step forward which forced the Ringmaster to pull his hand back quickly.
"Bring her back." Those were the words the Felix spoke out, sounding more like a demand uttered behind clenched teeth.
There was a fire behind those yellow-brown eyes of his, the Ringmaster noticed when he locked eyes with him and stepped away. Some of the gnomes held onto their mops, inching closer to their boss when he wagged his wand from behind him, motioning for them to stop. He had this in control, that was the impression he conveyed when he pressed his feet together and adjusted his collar with a confident posture. A giggle broke his composure, followed shortly by a brief chuckle as he covered his mouth before taking off his top hat and taking the pose of a curtsey in front of Felix.
"But of course. You did not think I was going to continue in her absence, did you? " He lifted his head and shot back a look of confidence with a knowing smile beginning to form on his face. "Have I not introduced myself? Can you not read the sign?"
Felix kept quiet, ignoring the showman's gesture as he pointed back to the entrance of the stage. He snapped his fingers and tapped his foot, cooking his head to the side until at last Felix turned his head to the direction he had mentioned, presented as an arc hung high above the stage entrance where the red curtains hung down. He saw the way Felix's eyes gazed around in a lost look, staring at the illuminated letters without any focus or pattern. Instead, he looked around the sign before setting his focus back on the showman, who much to his annoyance had begun to laugh at him.
"It seems to me that someone can't read!" He snorted and wheeled, clutching his stomach and turning to the audience with his arms spread wide. "Well I can safely say that you are in luck, for it is in my good heart and generosity to help those less fortunate and less able. Now am I right, people?"
He swung his arm around Felix's shoulder in a delicate move, being cautious so as not to give the wrong impression with his action. Felix felt repulsed when he was grabbed by this man in a way a friend would pull at their partner close to their side. The two stood next to each other with the Ringmaster waving his staff up at the sign.
"You see this right here? This here thing spells A-R-C-A-Y-E. Know what that says?" He asked condescendingly, pulling away and pressed his hand against his breast. He drew his attention toward the people around them, beckoning to the crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen, can anyone be so kind as to tell this poor soul what this sign reads?"
"Arcaye!" The crowd shouted back.
The Ringmaster cupped his ear and turned his head. "Oh speak up now, I can't hear you!"
"ARCAYE!!!!" The voices hollered out, their voices nearly shaking the big top as Felix could feel the ground vibrate from such noise.
The Ringmaster was pleased, spinning his staff around his palm before turning his attention toward his guest. He licked his lips and lifted his top hat to properly introduce himself much to the people's entertainment. "That's right, you are speaking to the one and only, Lord Cassius Arcaye himself, Master of Magics Most Mysterious! And hear my name, magic is my game! Now see here, you come into my show and make these demands under the guise that your mystery woman has vanished. But I tell you sir, your gal is still here and you would know that had you given this old chap just a moment of patience and a touch of hospitality. Now by the look of how you care for yourself, I may be asking for too much. Would someone in the audience please come down and give this young man a comb for that mop on his head? A nice little trim, a brush here and there. Be honest, you dress nicely tonight and I appreciate that of you, I would dress nicely to see me too, but all of this didn't come from the change in your trousers, did it?"
"YAMERO!"
The crowd fell silent as Reta shot up to her feet with a seething fury as the people sat nearby scooted away from her presence. Felix looked to his right to see her, with a bewildered Arcaye switching his glance from her to the young man before him. She did not speak any further but refused to sit down, keeping her eyes on the Ringmaster as he tugged at his collar, his eyes scanning the audience and observing their nervous look.
He raised a hand to his face and stroked his facial hair, pinching his mustache before shrugging and throwing his hands up as if he grew tired of their squabble. Rolling his eyes, he turned his back on Felix while facing the crowd and digging into his coat. When that didn't amount to anything, he began patting his pants and waist, wiggling and fidgeting around before raising his finger up as an idea came to mind. He then removed his hand and wiggled his fingers before sticking his hand through the hat until his entire arm had disappeared. He stuck his tongue out, exaggerating his effort of blindly searching through until his face lit up. His smile returned to form as he pulled his hand out from his hat with a white blanket dragging out by the end when ~Plop!
The audience recoiled from their seats as the blanket turned green and lost its shape before splattering onto the floor beside his boot. Arcaye adjusted his hat on his head before leaning down with a raised brow, this green good was spreading out as if its contents were still pouring into its mass, the slimy surface dribbled out until it touched the edge of his foot. Felix eyed it suspiciously, finding its traits to be familiar. He stepped back when the puddle pulled itself into a ball before spiraling at the top and adjusting its color into something dark before it resembled the Ringmaster's right boot in a mirror image. Arcaye seemed overjoyed, barely containing himself in his laughter upon seeing everyone's reaction before bending down and plucking the boot off the ground and on his palm.
"Slime-o! Did you sneak into my hat again?" He reached out and stroked the front surface with the tip of his finger, rubbing it back and forth in a ticklish manner until the boot began to jiggle and melt. It fell apart into a green goop wide enough to fit in his palm, squirming around until a pair of little white eyes popped out into view. Arcaye hummed with intrigue as he turned with a malicious smile before acknowledging Felix's presence.
"Here, catch!" He tossed the green slime in his direction. Felix jumped back, startled and stumbling in his footing. The slime fell several feet away with a splash before reshaping itself into a simple blob form with a pair of empty eyes staring through him. "Don't fret, he's only a slime! Slime-o!"
The slime turned its head with a light hum vibrating from its body, its gelatinous nature quivering and rippling with every subtle movement. It jumped up and swirled into the air, landing onto the magician's hand as he raised the slime over his head before addressing the audience. "Not to worry everyone, this little fellow is tamed! This is Slime-o! Much like his other gooey kind, he is capable of changing his form to mirror as many objects as his mass can allow. A bouncing ball, a lantern, a canteen! Or in this case, a blanket. Which reminds me..."
The slime shriveled up as the magician drew it closer to his face. "Slim-o, did you eat the blanket?"
It wiggled its shape, taking the form of a closed hand wagging its finger side to side.
"You better not, remember what happened in last weeks showing." He removed his hat and flipped it upside down, tossing the little slim back inside. "Now go fetch it for me."
In short time, the corner of a blanket spat out into his palm as Arcaye pulled the rest of it out with a laugh. "I apologize to have kept you all waiting, but we are on a strict schedule tonight so we must go on with the show!"
By now, Felix had composed himself and climbed back on his feet as Arcaye ordered the workers to leave the stage. They scuttered back with mops in hand, rushing past and pushing Felix out of the way as they slipped through the curtains. He frowned and turned to face Arcaye, who now held the blanket by both hands. By this point Felix had enough of this showman's pretentious demeanor, crossing his arms and keeping his distance watching the magician do his thing. Arcaye twisted his head to face him with a knowing smile before looking back into the crowd.
"Aspectabilis!" He chanted out as he threw the blanket outward in the same spot where KuliKuli had vanished.
Suddenly there was a chorus of screams as the fabric fell over the shape of a familiar young woman standing still. Felix scurried toward her when the magician stuck out his hand for him to stop. There were no jokes or taunts this time as he kept a focused look on his face before carefully removing the cloth away, revealing KuliKuli in the same position as she was with her arms to her side and the blindfold on her face. She was taken by surprise when Felix hugged her from behind, yanking the blindfold from her eyes and holding her tight. She squinted and rubbed her eyes vigorously when her face lit up.
"Wait, Felix? What are you doing here?" She asked, blissfully unaware of what just unfolded.
The room was in an uproar of passionate chants and excitement, voices flaring out and children screaming at the top of their lungs. Their entertainment was like a drug to Arcaye and he ate up their praise with outstretched arms, his hat in one hand and his cane in the other.
KuliKuli spotted her friends climbing down to approach them as Felix helped her off the stage. Janette was the first to speak out with a look of relief on her face. "Well, I think that's enough excitement for tonight."
"Agreed." Felix replied shortly as he hopped off the stage. Reta stayed quiet, walking up to KuliKuli and looking her up and down and spinning her around before giving her a nod. KuliKuli didn't know what to do or how to respond, only to find her group of friends taking her by the arms and leading her out of the room.
"Thank you, thank you! And now, please give a round of applause to our next act starring Pistachio!" Arcaye kissed and waved goodbye, leaving the stage and clapping hands with the next performer before slipping under the curtains and grabbing hold of one of the gnomes nearby, pulling him in and whispering into his pointed ear. "Tell the boys to keep an eye on that lot."
He pointed towards the curtain as the gnome tilted his head, catching a glimpse of Felix, KuliKuli, Reta and Janette leaving the show.
"Thank you! Thank you! Oh-ho, please! You're too kind, I'm really not that great. Okay, perhaps I am! Thank you!"
The Ringmaster basked in the afterglow of his recent magic trick, blowing kisses and bowing to the pleased crowd.
The audience was a flurry of different races and each one of them praised the man in their own native way. The humans along with the orcs and dwarves stood up from their seats and raised their fists into the air, shouting and chanting in a frenzy of excitement and cheer. The elves and avians shared a mellow personality, standing up to nod solemnly before calmly sitting down in silence. There were a few saurians enjoying the spectacle as well, their lime green and spotted scaly skin set them apart from the dark green and brutish appearance of the orcs, their image more closely resembled that of a bipedal lizard. They are cousins to the Kobold race, sharing the same family of species but the difference was the shift in evolution. The Kobolds more closely resembled feral reptilians with long faces, with osteoderms sprouting from between their brows and aligned down their back to the tip of their spiny long tails. Saurians. simply put, looked closer to humans and elves with matching facial traits including hair, slender noses and a mouth rather than a muzzle. They lacked the pointed scales and developed a smoother scaly surface around their body, with the females having two horns emerging from their forehead to easily tell their genders apart. The males were shorter in height as well, with slender body features compared to the females, that trait was shared between both saurians and kobolds.
But among the crowd sat three individuals who were frightened after what they had seen, or more specifically for who they cannot see. Norowa Reta was stunned, her muscles felt stiff and her thoughts were scrambling for a reason or course of action on what to do next. Janette sat on the opposite side, her mouth wide open but speechless as her eyes frantically danced around that stage, hoping to find their friend reappear any moment. Yes, once the crowd had had enough, the Ringmaster would surely resume his work and bring her back from wherever she had vanished off to. In between the two women sat Felix, he remained eerily quiet but his eyes refused to blink and his hands were turning red from the force of clenching his fists in a tight grip. It was a crowded and public area, he rationalized that it would be in their best interest if he was patient and gave the magician the benefit of the doubt, believing just like his friend that KuliKuli would return shortly.
They soon realized that would not be the case, as four gnome workers re-entered the stage with mops in their little hands, trotting in their short legs before making quick work of mopping the stage floor. Janette spun her head to see Felix had jumped off his seat, making his way toward the center stage as the applause had begun to die out. His cloak flowed behind him as he landed on his feet, descending like a brown cape holding onto his shoulders with a chain holding the fabric around the front of his collar. He approached the Ringmaster with a light pacing until he stepped up onto the stage, with some people observing with intrigue and whispering amongst themselves wondering what was happening or if this was part of the act.
The Ringmaster bared a cheeky smile from ear to ear, amused by the young man's entrance while the gnomes paused and shot a worried glance toward their new guest. The performer simply extended his gloved hand signaling for him to stop, keeping his staff under his other arm with his wand in hand away from view.
"Aaaah my dear fellow, come to congratulate me personally? I'm flattered you see but I don't do handshakes for free. I am afraid you will have to wait until after the show has concluded, thank you."
Felix leaned to one side and eyed his hand with suspicion, noticing an odd design on the back of the glove like ink stained into the white material. It was a symbol that he could not read but one that was widely recognized to enhance the user's focus and control of elemental magic. Practicing elemental magic was fully possible without the use of these symbols but they act like a conductor, a method to maintain focus on the element you wanted to conjure on without the need of using alchemic tools and spell incantations. Perhaps it was due to his naivety as Felix had little to no exposure with the works of magical spells and the like, but he chose to take a step forward which forced the Ringmaster to pull his hand back quickly.
"Bring her back." Those were the words the Felix spoke out, sounding more like a demand uttered behind clenched teeth.
There was a fire behind those yellow-brown eyes of his, the Ringmaster noticed when he locked eyes with him and stepped away. Some of the gnomes held onto their mops, inching closer to their boss when he wagged his wand from behind him, motioning for them to stop. He had this in control, that was the impression he conveyed when he pressed his feet together and adjusted his collar with a confident posture. A giggle broke his composure, followed shortly by a brief chuckle as he covered his mouth before taking off his top hat and taking the pose of a curtsey in front of Felix.
"But of course. You did not think I was going to continue in her absence, did you? " He lifted his head and shot back a look of confidence with a knowing smile beginning to form on his face. "Have I not introduced myself? Can you not read the sign?"
Felix kept quiet, ignoring the showman's gesture as he pointed back to the entrance of the stage. He snapped his fingers and tapped his foot, cooking his head to the side until at last Felix turned his head to the direction he had mentioned, presented as an arc hung high above the stage entrance where the red curtains hung down. He saw the way Felix's eyes gazed around in a lost look, staring at the illuminated letters without any focus or pattern. Instead, he looked around the sign before setting his focus back on the showman, who much to his annoyance had begun to laugh at him.
"It seems to me that someone can't read!" He snorted and wheeled, clutching his stomach and turning to the audience with his arms spread wide. "Well I can safely say that you are in luck, for it is in my good heart and generosity to help those less fortunate and less able. Now am I right, people?"
He swung his arm around Felix's shoulder in a delicate move, being cautious so as not to give the wrong impression with his action. Felix felt repulsed when he was grabbed by this man in a way a friend would pull at their partner close to their side. The two stood next to each other with the Ringmaster waving his staff up at the sign.
"You see this right here? This here thing spells A-R-C-A-Y-E. Know what that says?" He asked condescendingly, pulling away and pressed his hand against his breast. He drew his attention toward the people around them, beckoning to the crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen, can anyone be so kind as to tell this poor soul what this sign reads?"
"Arcaye!" The crowd shouted back.
The Ringmaster cupped his ear and turned his head. "Oh speak up now, I can't hear you!"
"ARCAYE!!!!" The voices hollered out, their voices nearly shaking the big top as Felix could feel the ground vibrate from such noise.
The Ringmaster was pleased, spinning his staff around his palm before turning his attention toward his guest. He licked his lips and lifted his top hat to properly introduce himself much to the people's entertainment. "That's right, you are speaking to the one and only, Lord Cassius Arcaye himself, Master of Magics Most Mysterious! And hear my name, magic is my game! Now see here, you come into my show and make these demands under the guise that your mystery woman has vanished. But I tell you sir, your gal is still here and you would know that had you given this old chap just a moment of patience and a touch of hospitality. Now by the look of how you care for yourself, I may be asking for too much. Would someone in the audience please come down and give this young man a comb for that mop on his head? A nice little trim, a brush here and there. Be honest, you dress nicely tonight and I appreciate that of you, I would dress nicely to see me too, but all of this didn't come from the change in your trousers, did it?"
"YAMERO!"
The crowd fell silent as Reta shot up to her feet with a seething fury as the people sat nearby scooted away from her presence. Felix looked to his right to see her, with a bewildered Arcaye switching his glance from her to the young man before him. She did not speak any further but refused to sit down, keeping her eyes on the Ringmaster as he tugged at his collar, his eyes scanning the audience and observing their nervous look.
He raised a hand to his face and stroked his facial hair, pinching his mustache before shrugging and throwing his hands up as if he grew tired of their squabble. Rolling his eyes, he turned his back on Felix while facing the crowd and digging into his coat. When that didn't amount to anything, he began patting his pants and waist, wiggling and fidgeting around before raising his finger up as an idea came to mind. He then removed his hand and wiggled his fingers before sticking his hand through the hat until his entire arm had disappeared. He stuck his tongue out, exaggerating his effort of blindly searching through until his face lit up. His smile returned to form as he pulled his hand out from his hat with a white blanket dragging out by the end when ~Plop!
The audience recoiled from their seats as the blanket turned green and lost its shape before splattering onto the floor beside his boot. Arcaye adjusted his hat on his head before leaning down with a raised brow, this green good was spreading out as if its contents were still pouring into its mass, the slimy surface dribbled out until it touched the edge of his foot. Felix eyed it suspiciously, finding its traits to be familiar. He stepped back when the puddle pulled itself into a ball before spiraling at the top and adjusting its color into something dark before it resembled the Ringmaster's right boot in a mirror image. Arcaye seemed overjoyed, barely containing himself in his laughter upon seeing everyone's reaction before bending down and plucking the boot off the ground and on his palm.
"Slime-o! Did you sneak into my hat again?" He reached out and stroked the front surface with the tip of his finger, rubbing it back and forth in a ticklish manner until the boot began to jiggle and melt. It fell apart into a green goop wide enough to fit in his palm, squirming around until a pair of little white eyes popped out into view. Arcaye hummed with intrigue as he turned with a malicious smile before acknowledging Felix's presence.
"Here, catch!" He tossed the green slime in his direction. Felix jumped back, startled and stumbling in his footing. The slime fell several feet away with a splash before reshaping itself into a simple blob form with a pair of empty eyes staring through him. "Don't fret, he's only a slime! Slime-o!"
The slime turned its head with a light hum vibrating from its body, its gelatinous nature quivering and rippling with every subtle movement. It jumped up and swirled into the air, landing onto the magician's hand as he raised the slime over his head before addressing the audience. "Not to worry everyone, this little fellow is tamed! This is Slime-o! Much like his other gooey kind, he is capable of changing his form to mirror as many objects as his mass can allow. A bouncing ball, a lantern, a canteen! Or in this case, a blanket. Which reminds me..."
The slime shriveled up as the magician drew it closer to his face. "Slim-o, did you eat the blanket?"
It wiggled its shape, taking the form of a closed hand wagging its finger side to side.
"You better not, remember what happened in last weeks showing." He removed his hat and flipped it upside down, tossing the little slim back inside. "Now go fetch it for me."
In short time, the corner of a blanket spat out into his palm as Arcaye pulled the rest of it out with a laugh. "I apologize to have kept you all waiting, but we are on a strict schedule tonight so we must go on with the show!"
By now, Felix had composed himself and climbed back on his feet as Arcaye ordered the workers to leave the stage. They scuttered back with mops in hand, rushing past and pushing Felix out of the way as they slipped through the curtains. He frowned and turned to face Arcaye, who now held the blanket by both hands. By this point Felix had enough of this showman's pretentious demeanor, crossing his arms and keeping his distance watching the magician do his thing. Arcaye twisted his head to face him with a knowing smile before looking back into the crowd.
"Aspectabilis!" He chanted out as he threw the blanket outward in the same spot where KuliKuli had vanished.
Suddenly there was a chorus of screams as the fabric fell over the shape of a familiar young woman standing still. Felix scurried toward her when the magician stuck out his hand for him to stop. There were no jokes or taunts this time as he kept a focused look on his face before carefully removing the cloth away, revealing KuliKuli in the same position as she was with her arms to her side and the blindfold on her face. She was taken by surprise when Felix hugged her from behind, yanking the blindfold from her eyes and holding her tight. She squinted and rubbed her eyes vigorously when her face lit up.
"Wait, Felix? What are you doing here?" She asked, blissfully unaware of what just unfolded.
The room was in an uproar of passionate chants and excitement, voices flaring out and children screaming at the top of their lungs. Their entertainment was like a drug to Arcaye and he ate up their praise with outstretched arms, his hat in one hand and his cane in the other.
KuliKuli spotted her friends climbing down to approach them as Felix helped her off the stage. Janette was the first to speak out with a look of relief on her face. "Well, I think that's enough excitement for tonight."
"Agreed." Felix replied shortly as he hopped off the stage. Reta stayed quiet, walking up to KuliKuli and looking her up and down and spinning her around before giving her a nod. KuliKuli didn't know what to do or how to respond, only to find her group of friends taking her by the arms and leading her out of the room.
"Thank you, thank you! And now, please give a round of applause to our next act starring Pistachio!" Arcaye kissed and waved goodbye, leaving the stage and clapping hands with the next performer before slipping under the curtains and grabbing hold of one of the gnomes nearby, pulling him in and whispering into his pointed ear. "Tell the boys to keep an eye on that lot."
He pointed towards the curtain as the gnome tilted his head, catching a glimpse of Felix, KuliKuli, Reta and Janette leaving the show.
