Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » 🌕 Blue Moon Circus (Private with Booknight)

"Over there, they have the best kabobs you can ever imagine! And that way, they have this grilled salad thing. It is shockingly good for street food. Of course, we cannot forget to pick something out for Granny," Felix said, striding ahead through the crowd confidently. "Something not too expensive, not too cheap, and absolutely not tacky! Perhaps something in orange. She loves orange even if it does not match her complexion whatsoever."

Jude followed his cousin slowly, each step taken with care as he stepped out with his left leg and then shifted slightly to bring his right leg forward, the unbending wooden foot in its shoe clumping down solidly. Felix drew farther and farther ahead, not even realizing he was leaving his cousin behind. Jude couldn't say he minded all that much. In a crowd this bustling and busy, it was almost easier to fend for himself than to try to follow someone. He paused for a moment next to a stall selling necklaces to catch his breath and adjust his leather bag that hung over one shoulder and settled at his left hip. The glimmer of bright stones drew his gaze, and he looked up to see jewels gleaming far brighter than his own blue-grey eyes ever could. Watching them sparkle in the light felt almost like a poem, but he had no words for it.

"There you are! Why did you stop?"

Jude dropped his gaze to see Felix glaring at him. "Granny might like one of these," he said the first thing to come to mind.

Felix glanced up at the necklaces and scoffed. "They may be pretty, but with that shoddy craftsmanship, it'll be apart in a week. Come on. There are some bangles up ahead she'd like."

Jude gave the scowling woman behind the stall an apologetic nod and followed his cousin. "Maybe we should split up. It'll be easier to cover more ground that way," he suggested.

Felix laughed and put his arm around Jude's shoulders. They were about the same height and width, but Felix was slightly thinner with bony arms that clenched like steel. "Come on, cousin! We only see each other once a year for this festival! We should be making the most of it! I know you're a dower fellow, but surely even you cannot take the glitter and gleam out of this event. We're young and currently free! Let's enjoy ourselves."

"I suppose so," Jude agreed grudgingly, mostly because he had no choice.

"That's a good lad!" Felix said cheerfully. "Why don't we go look at some of those stands where they make those marvelous little creations out of the red wood?"

Jude frowned, finally pushing back against his cousin a little. "I remember them from last year. If they are the same people, they have no regard for the forest they chop down."

"Says the man who literally lives in a logging camp for a railway," Felix said dryly.

"There is a difference between harvesting what is needed in a way that respects the forest and using every splinter given and whacking away haphazardly to gain a few trees to make cute trinkets," Jude argued. "What happens when there are no more trees of that red wood? What will they do then? Move on to another type to whack into oblivion?"

Felix shrugged. "A tree is a tree, and I see no difference in it, but if you are truly so passionate about it, very well!" he said airily. "We shall go to see the animals instead!"

He was not so certain that was any better, but how was he supposed to argue against his lighthearted city cousin? Jude let him lead the way, and thankfully, Felix finally let go of his shoulders and walked more slowly. The pair wandered slowly through the crowded aisles, steering well clear of the odd little girl spouting nonsense she said the animals said and eying the others through their bars and cages and chains.

"They really are quite pretty. I should ask Father if perhaps we could get one of those colorful birds for Granny," Felix remarked.

"I doubt she'd like cleaning up the feathers, and the bird would not appreciate the cage for long," Jude pointed out.

Felix waved a hand. "Then she can let it fly throughout the house! How much trouble could one bird be?"

Spoken like a man who had never spent five minutes near a bird, Jude thought. He turned away and stood looking at the animals. One caught his eye, and he frowned. Moving cautiously, he made his way through the crowd and found a clear spot where he could see through to the deer-like creature standing in shackles. How strange. How ethereal. What was this thing doing here? What was it, and why did it gleam with magic? How did it hold that magic between its horns like that?

Jude pitied the creature. He was not entirely convinced this whole animal menagerie was not some sort of charade to cheat people from their money or just a silly show at best, but the animal as an animal was real enough, and it was being cruelly treated. No creature should be kept in these kinds of conditions.

Then came the voices. Chaos. Chaos and fear. Voices in his head! Jude jerked, nearly losing his balance. What did they want with him? Was he hallucinating? What was going on? He stared at the stag, eyes wide as he tried to comprehend something that his mind refused to acknowledge was happening. Deer could not use mental voices in other people's heads! (He did not realize that was not what was happening.) They could not feel like a human could. They could not connect on a human level! None of this should be happening!

And then the creature was loose.

Felix let out a yell and dove out of the way while Jude stood transfixed. The snapping of chains rooted him in place as fear surged through him. He saw the white belly of the beast soaring over his head almost as if the creature had known not to knock him over. The loosed chains flung away, nearly striking him as they clattered to the ground. Felix suddenly reappeared at his side and grabbed him, half lifting Jude as he dragged him out of the path of the stampeding people. Jude gasped for breath and gripped tightly to Felix as they tried to maneuver out of the crush. He lost sight of the stag but heard the shouts of the men who chased it. He hoped it would get away.

It did not get away. He could hear their shouts of victory even as Felix - winded, disheveled, and wide-eyed - half guided and half dragged him toward a corner of the festival where there were no screaming people. Felix got him sitting down, and Jude could breathe again.

"What happened?" demanded a voice.

Ah. His father had arrived.

"One of the c-creatures got loose," Felix stammered. "It nearly slaughtered us! We were right there in its path! It broke its chains and everything!"

"Every year those dollards insist on bringing those beasts into the city," Felix's father huffed. "Every year I petition to have them banned, but they are an established tradition, and no one except me sees the danger!"

Jude's father ignored him and focused on Jude. "Are you alright?" he asked, his grey eyes piercing right through Jude.

"I am fine," Jude assured him quietly, avoiding his gaze. "I am only shaken. Felix was able to steer us clear of any true danger."

Felix's chest swelled. "I was rather heroic, wasn't I?" he preened.

"Well done, my boy!" Felix's father praised him. "I am going to take this to the council. Surely now that one of their wretched beasts has gotten loose, they shall see how lax they are. Such a danger. They should all be put down!"

"The creatures of the forest should be respected for what they are and not punished for acting as they are designed," Jude's father said, his voice rumbling from his barreled chest.

Felix's father waved a hand. "Yes, yes, yes, respect the animals and all of that. I will respect them outside of my town and when they are not attacking our children. Come, Felix! We have people to talk to!"

Jude watched as they walked away, still trembling slightly. Those voices... what were they? And why had the stag looked at him like that?

Jude's father watched his wife's brother strut away with his son in tow and heaved a sigh. Turning, he looked down at Jude with a deep, incomprehensible look and then offered him a hand. "Come. Let's get you back to your aunt's. There's no point in staying here longer."

Jude guiltily accepted the hand up and leaned on his father heavily while he found his footing with his wooden foot. He was only too glad to end this day as his leg ached and his ears burned and his shoulders felt the weight of every single person around him, but he hadn't wanted it to end like this. The pathetic defective one dragging everything down once again. He said nothing, head lowered as he followed his father toward where they were staying for the yearly festival.