by Candra Kylar
My mother chatted up several people in line and made instant friends with them. She had a void in her life where the other socialites used to be and, it seemed, the only way to cure that was to randomly add people into her life. If she wasn’t a bit thrilled herself, then she was a better actress than I had ever believed. The smile on her face spoke volumes. As we got closer, she started discussing the different acts. A unique werewolf with two personalities inside of him – both sentient – fought gladiator style against conjured beasts for the highlight of the show. A beautiful caster with strange eyes could project different realities within the tent to give others the glimpse into a world where forbidden magic ruled. There was a sea muck, a rare hybrid of a seal with the head and ears of a bear. Strangely, for their appearance, they were herbivores. I had seen one once in a museum as a child.
No one was talking about the big seller of the evening: a magical gnome who had a living soul inside of her and had an arsenal of spells to amaze. The very same gnome who had been such a brow-raiser when she premiered years back. The one I had once ignored the value of and sat in a courtroom to cast judgment on. My best friend and the most cherished person in my life as of late. I didn’t want her to be a spectacle for others to enjoy as a cheap thrill. I didn’t want anyone to laugh at her. My own inner wolf, more peaceful than Braeden’s, snarled inside. I had my own inkling to sink my teeth into Voldini’s neck and end this whole display once and for all. Braeden smirked next to me, his own inner wolf catching on to my anger.
When we entered the main tent, I breathed a sigh of relief at the enormity of it. I could easily blend in among the crowd here even if Elizar didn’t manage to keep the owner’s attention. The long benches were soft and warmed, a good sign considering a chill had started to creep over the area, and were packed with spectators. I turned my attention to several balcony seats that were more lush, more private, shaded from the public eye. A glint of purple flashed and I knew it was Elizar toying with his dice. He wasn’t fully visible to me but I could rely on him. He would be upholding his end of the bargain. My mother and the new friend she made sat right next to me and I stiffened. I felt packed in and had hoped to slip away during the show when the lights were dimmed. Casually slipping out wouldn’t go unnoticed.
“I do wish I could meet this Mr. Voldini. He is still handsome for his age”, my mother said charismatically to her new friend, “you say you’ve been to this circus several times? Does he ever allow his audience to personally swoon in his private office?”
“They say he has an eye for sophisticated women. I’d bet you would have a chance if you slipped into the residential tent after the performance”, her friend advised.
“Well let’s hope that luck will be with me!”, my mother crossed her fingers.
I had to fight commenting on her whole opaque plan. I knew without a doubt that the high rolling Holly Everlaine, who had already married a cruel man, would ever wish to jump into the pot with another. She was likely using this as a way to seduce Voldini out of the spell. It was clever but it would backfire. Voldini didn’t get to where he was by being that easily fooled. Dimples could likely talk circles around him. I went to whisper to my mother about a change of her plans when the lights dimmed and the applause started. A large ferret with a spider’s set of legs, yes it was astounding to see, walked around with that same cowboy hat that had once belonged to Tip. It squeaked and hopped as gold coins were sent out from the front rows in excitement. This was the first spectacle, an animal that should have never existed but likely did due to magical experimentation.
The ferret made his rounds, his little set of legs skittering about, and stopped when ample gold filled the hat. At least Tip entertained the crowd with comedy. A ringmaster came out, plastered with makeup on his rotund face, beard meeting at a beaded peak. His trousers were too tight and his jacket was too loose, his walk strange as he wobbled onto the dais in the center ring. His top hat was too small for his head and his eyes too large to be human. Only the sudden tick of his movements gave it away: he was an animatronic. A finely crafted and detailed one. With a jerk of a bow, he raised his cane high and bellowed out in a voice that was free from mechanical undertones. He must have cost Voldini a fortune.
“Ladies and gentleman, and those who wish not to identify, I welcome you tonight to our refuge for castaway outcasts. These poor people, these homeless creatures, came to the benevolent Vander Voldini in search of asylum. We have turned our backs on them and showered them with our distaste”, he paused and then turned direction, “and now they are here with a true purpose. Driven by fear for their own safety. A love of performance was thus kindled and they agreed to the most noble of missions. To shock! To entertain! Applaud them loudly, cheer their names, because your presence here is inspiration that we will one day find unity!”
“The fuck we will”, murmured Braeden, “the Council will see to stopping that. How else would they seem useful? This guy is brainwashed.”
I whispered, “He’s mechanical. Every person in this circus would have been made illegal or cast out in some way. Granted, we both know Voldini didn’t invite them in for safety. Remember how expensive these tickets were?”
“Thank your sugar daddy for buying them with his glorious wealth”, Braeden snorted.
“That’s not my point”, I squeezed his arm, “this place is packed. He’s richer than my father would be combined with Elizar and Cecilia’s family. I bet none of his acts see a decent share of it. There’s more than one illegal activity going on here.”
“I think this circus is older than we think. With the governmental changes, Voldini just became more comfortable with advertising it loudly”, Braeden observed.
He was right. There was no way this circus had just emerged out of nowhere suddenly. Tip had told me that the Seer, the one who was slated to amaze us with holographic projections of the world, had been with the circus since childhood. This had always been around and made the Iverli national tour. They just did it from the shadows when a more prudent governmental board would have made moves against it. Now, with men like my father in charge, money was all that mattered. Voldini had to charge this much so he could continue to grease the pockets of his constituents. Bribery came at a high price when you were basically kidnapping your acts and manipulating them into servitude. The wolf wanted to rise again at my anger but I kept that bandaid tight.
The ringmaster went on to explain that each act was there voluntarily – yeah, sure – and that they couldn’t be met after the performance due to their safety. I doubted the last part just as much. People who had fled for their own safety, who had grown up hated for their differences, would be starved for affection. They would probably enjoy hearing words of comfort and praise. I couldn’t blame them for finding some small joy in a life like that. For that reason, once I got Dimples out, I planned to put an end to this circus. There had to be a better way for these people to live as they deserve to.
The first act came out and it was the dualistic werewolf. He was stocky in build, a little harrier than I had seen, with a short beard that was dark and well tended. His eyes were hollow as his head jerked this way and that. There was a fear in his demeanor. Rambling to himself, his voice was hard to pickup in the murmur of the crowd. Two larger animals, ones I didn’t recognize but that which closely resembled giant wolves, padded out to join him. The foam dripping from their jaws and the clouded over eyes told me that they weren’t of natural origin. These must be the summoned creatures. To my surprise, the werewolf backed up in his human form, held out his hands. He was having a conversation with himself. He didn’t want to fight like this and reason was dominating. Then something came over him.
As one wolf inched closer, he screamed out at it, shaking his head. Snap back and he was afraid again. Snarl, roar, scream, terrified. It became uncomfortable to watch as I was sure he was going to die. Braeden started to rise from his seat and I clenched down on his shoulder. We couldn’t draw attention to ourselves. I felt bad for
the werewolf who had two beings inside of his body, as was advertised so eloquently, wrapped up in his own fear because of this identity. He hated the wolf inside of him and anger came over his eyes. Fists welled up tightly, he started hurting himself and crying out. I looked away. Could Braeden mend him in some way that would fix this? I could tell that my friend was thinking the same thing. As for my mother, she was pale and silent next to me.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the man shifted to wolf and the carnage was unleashed. With swift attacks, he tore the demonic wolves to shreds for his own pleasure. Barking at himself still in his own animalistic language. Contrary to popular beliefs, werewolves often didn’t understand each other with basic vocal commands in their primal form. We were so hardwire to use human language that most instincts were lost on us. Something told me that this poor werewolf could understand it all. He was used to living with two entirely separate beings inside of him that fought for control. Only one could be dominant and, in the case of a healthy werewolf, that was always the human side. Our inner wolf was an aspect of us but not a separate identity. I was Abigail Everlaine the witch who could shift into a wolf. There was no other Abbie inside that was separate and distinct.
The second conjured beast went down just as quickly with our dualistic wolf triumphing. His muzzle, a light gray, was covered in thick blood that was otherworldly. Voldini could either openly use forbidden conjuring magic himself or he paid someone well to do it for him. I was guessing the liability would fall on someone else. I gasped as the wolf turned back to human, quivering, eyes wild, hair a mess. He tried to smooth it over and kept apologizing to himself. To others. Curling up, a whimper escaped his lips and the applause drowned everything else. Our hobbling ringmaster got up upon his little dais and made another announcement as the curtains parted.
“Now it is a beauty who will soothe this beast with her own magic”, the ringmaster pointed to the parting between the curtains, “the dazzling sorceress Rynna, Seer of ages past, will evoke a world where a wild being can find rest.”
The werewolf looked up and smiled weakly. I looked in the direction of the parted curtains and saw powder blue beams of light, silver as they weaved like cords, fill the ring where the werewolf sat. They weaved together strange shapes that I had only seen in books before. Trees that had fruit which hadn’t existed for centuries. They were large and lifelike with exception to the hue they gave off. The effect was made with pure energy and light. A bird with a long tail much like a peacock swooped over the crowd in the same silvery blue shade, mist wafting down magically onto the audience. People were amazed by the light show and I leaned forward in my own excitement. It was serene.
Out of the curtains came a woman as stunning as her magical mechanizations. She was garbed in a gossamer dress with a trail that sparkled behind her, smoothed against a body I was insanely envious of. Her skin was dark and her makeup pronounced, smooth and flawless. Obsidian hair was styled in a gathering of braids down her back that were tipped in the same blue as the energy she brought to life. She smiled at the sight of the werewolf and sent a pack of ethereal looking blue wolf pups to dance around him. Each one had a horn on their head and yipped in their playfulness. The werewolf reached out to pet them as if they were real and it made the audience clap again. The seer looked annoyed at their applause but plastered on a false smile to not give it away too clearly.
She then weaved a being akin to a dinosaur to life in the ring where she had left. It circled around the audience and blinked its eyes with lifelike precision. Smaller dinosaurs closer to desert lizards danced along it’s gigantic feet with a thrill. The audience devoured it and wanted more. Flora and fauna alike came alive in that holographic form through the seats of the audience. A real living world frozen in history that we could reach out and touch. I was amazed at the immensity of her magic. She had used the distraction to help the werewolf up and guide him back to the curtains. Once she came back, a sheet of ice had started to crawl toward the conjured trees. There was no drop in temperature but it still looked real.
“Of course this period of prehistoric bliss was lost to us when the ice laid claim to the land. It’s a tragedy because all beauty must one day end”, she swept the ice further, “and all life must begin anew. Some would say it’s good fortune that these trees no longer stand. The fruit would tempt us and, likely due to our diets, poison us. A world just out of our touch but the relics below our feet. We are forever connected.”
She whooshed the prehistoric life away and started anew with weaving tall buildings, a small version of an airship with primitive balloon technology, a clock tower. It was at the height of the Elder Fae rulership before the underlings rebelled. I had seen images of this everywhere growing up. Technology only allowed to go so far until magic became the suitable replacement. The clock whirred and ticked away fueled entirely by arcane energy. Tall beings, with limbs like vine laden trees, walked on all fours around formed city streets. Everything was in miniature as an entire city district couldn’t hope to fit within the tent. The Seer looked pleased with her handiwork and continued on with her weaving tirelessly.
“When the Elder Fae took over rule of Iverli, magic was ordinated as the acceptable way to build. Science was discarded as useless when a viable power so ready at our command could be wielded for recreational uses. We didn’t question our masters”, she narrated.
The city scene became darker and the clock stopped working. The monsters that walked on all fours with an ever watchful eye started to slow. A planet in that silvered blue rose high above it all. I could feel the tension in the air and my breath stilled. We had all taken the same history classes in school and knew what came next. The Elder Fae would fall and so would society crumble into near ruin. The Seer didn’t hesitate to bring it all down as if time itself was under her command. The walking beings crumbled, the tower exploded dust onto the audience, and the buildings fell to their foundations. Ever high, the strange planet turned and hummed with an energy that was familiar. A message that we had closed our ears off to. Then the planet dispersed into its own energy and all was dark.
“With the usurping of the Elder Fae, humankind was able to bridge the gap where magic met scientific technology. We came to rely on ourselves instead of gods that embodied physical manifestations and lashed out commands. Cruelty was destroyed and we were given a fresh palette”, she emitted lights from each hand, “I ask what you will do with this new life?”
She spun around on one heel and glided back toward the curtains where she disappeared. The cloud was left stunned and the applause was hollow. Seeing history alive in front of your eyes was a disarming experience. I didn’t miss the lecture in the Seer’s tone. She had passed a judgment on us for being present here, for using this chance of understanding to breed more ignorance. It was art and magic used to prove a point. Even Braeden next to me, who had never been one for artistic expression, was amazed by the show he had just watched. He licked his lips and coughed quickly to bring himself back to the present. We both faded out when the sea muck came bouncing in to entertain. A teasing act before the grand finale. I reached out for my mother to find she had slipped away during the Seer’s performance.
The sea muck had less of a full sized bear’s head and more of a bear’s features on its face. The muzzle was shorter, the snout larger, the ears distinct. A little bear’s tail moved happily at the sight of others. This sea muck didn’t realize they were in a magical freak show of sorts. It was just happy to see others, trailing around with happy trails of slime which gave the creature its name. Some said that the sea muck were prehistoric themselves and reverse engineered by careful scientists. No one had ever asked the sea muck if it wanted to come back but this one, if asked, would have barked out a resounding yes. It jumped into the crowd to laughs and cringes from the slime that followed, licking a few audience members before going back to the center ring. It toyed with the ringmaster and then hopped off into the residential tent. The applause for the sea muck was perhaps the lou
dest.
“Now for something more grim and fear inducing”, the ringmaster declared, “a being hand picked by our very own Vander Voldini himself. She is fierce, dangerous, a monster made life and a tragic story of horrific possession. We are only safe if she is here within our containment, my guests, but have no fear. She can’t hurt you so long as we keep her disconnected from her savage roots.”
“If this son of a bitch is talking about Dimples…”, Braeden balled up a fist, ready to see how quick he could dismantle an animatronic.
“You knew she’d be the last act, that Voldini was ignorant.”
His eyes were wild, “This is our friend being paraded around as a monster.”
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat, “And our job is far from over once we save her.”
“I present to you a truly sinister concoction of Elder Fae existence made flesh among us now. A prison of stone can’t hope to always keep her powers stored away and she viciously lashes out with her light to show what a menace she could be”, the ringmaster bellowed, “I now leave the stage to bring you the act you may have read about, seen humanized in the news, but now will know the truth of. The Elder Fae’s casted off creation...the Sinister Statue!”
Applause roared from around us and I fought back the urge to rip that bandage off. My wolf could tear through the ringmaster, could slash down anyone who got in my way. Elizar would have his magic and could clear a path for me, Braeden would be by my side doing some serious damage of his own. We just needed to reach Dimples and save her from being branded something so reviled by people who had never taken the chance to know her. In the end, our differences set us apart, and I would toss theirs back in their face. Dimples was all that mattered, she was our goal. Voldini could just rebuild what we destroyed. The bandaid tore at the seams but it was Braeden’s hand that kept me at bay. Small embers of green energy prickled along my arm to calm me.
