Chapter 4: Circus Of The Rising Sun

“In our first act, this Mineralite will lift a boulder, three times larger and ten times heavier than his own body, over his head!”

The ringmaster waved the bulky man forward. He wore a red strength powerstone on a chain around his neck. The man closed his eyes and breathed, reaching out with his mind to connect to the powerstone.

The pendent etched a geometric pattern of red energy over his skin, and he dug his fingers into the very matter of the boulder. His muscles bulged as he lifted it off the ground and over his head.

The Elementi portion of the crowd let out their collectively held breath and cheered.

The Mineralites were harder to please. There were many powerstones, each color granting the Mineralites who wore them distinctive abilities. The powerstones were their birthright.

It is hard to appreciate something you live with day in and day out for your entire life. Oh, how an ability would make my life easier.

Sihara whispered a prayer to the Creator to forgive her jealousy.

The spotlight shifted to a Vindish Elementi woman in an elaborate floral costume. Green elemental dust sprung from her fingertips and wrapped around small pebbles laying in a pile. She took a step into thin air, and a column of pebbles rose to meet her feet.

“I’ve never seen anyone use Earth elements like that.” Kamdara Imogen whispered in awe.

The performer climbed higher and higher until the columns swayed underneath her. She used the momentum from the fall to launch herself onto the spotlight platform.

The fire-controlling acrobat had disappeared.

The ringmaster stepped out and asked, “How is everyone enjoying themselves?”

Sihara cheered and clapped with the audience.

The ringmaster cupped his hand to his ear, “I’m sorry, what was that?”

The crowd cheered even louder.

Sebastian tried to cover his ears without drawing notice.

“That’s more like it!” The ringmaster grinned. “For our final act, it is my pleasure to introduce the astonishing Fire Masters of the illustrious Aeolian plains!”

All the lights went out in a flash.

Orange elemental dust lit a hidden pile of kindling underneath the spotlight platform.

A man wearing a ghoulish red mask, loincloth, and fur boots skittered out from behind the bonfire. As soon as he “saw” the audience, he tried to frighten them by beating his fists against the ground. Embers flew into the air with each beat.

When the audience wasn’t frightened by this, the man reached for the fire. His elemental dust pulled the wispy tendrils of the fire into a sphere that hovered above the palm of his hand. With a twist of his wrist, the sphere of fire flew towards the crowd.

Cries and gasps rang through the audience.

Sebastian jumped to shield Sihara with his body.

People left their seats to scatter towards the exit.

Elemental dust grasped the burning flame, making it hover in front of the audience. A woman wearing a white angelic mask stepped into the light, her hand outstretched toward the sphere of fire.

Sebastian shuffled back into his seat.

Sihara smiled and reached out to hold his hand. She whispered, “Thank you for protecting me.”

Sebastian blushed. “It was a reflex.”

Sihara bit her lip to keep her giggle from escaping, and she focused on the performance.

The angelic woman sent the fire spinning back towards the ghoulish man.

He caught the flame and extinguished it. He crouched low to the ground and tilted his head, almost as if he had posed a silent question.

Ah, he is playing an Animalian.

The woman in the white mask offered her hand.

The Animalian actor struck the ground, and embers flew into the air.

She took a step back, but did not change her offer of friendship.

The Animalian cackled; the sound was so strange in this silent play. He formed another sphere of fire and hurled it in her direction.

Sihara gasped and covered her mouth as the fire hit the woman and burned her costume.

Sebastian squeezed her hand, and Sihara wondered who was reassuring whom.

The woman cringed in an exaggerated mimicry of pain. She put her hands over where the fire had scorched her costume.

A man adorned with a clockwork mask walked into the ring and squatted by the fire to warm his hands. He squinted at the other two actors with suspicion.

This new performer represents the Mineralites. The woman must represent Elementi.

As soon as the ghoulish man noticed the newcomer, he leaped towards him.

The two men wrestled for possession of the fire. Their fighting extinguished the fire.

Darkness blanketed the tent.

The sound of the heavy breathing of the Fire Masters filled the space. From the aerialist platforms, drums pound out rhythm, reminding Sihara of her own harried heartbeat.

A haze of orange elemental dust lit the fire masters.

That much power could burn the tent down with all of us inside.

The woman swept her hand through the air and attacked the ghoulish man with a blaze of fire. She followed by kicking embers into his face.

“This performance is much more violent than the shows at the other Elementi festivals,” Sihara whispered to Sebastian. The spectacle overwhelmed her. The elemental dust made her skin warm. Her heart beat in her throat, and she held onto Sebastian's arm as an anchor. 

The sound of burning fire clashed with the noise of humans fighting. Light and fire danced through the air, somehow managing not to set anything on fire. Fire streaked through the air, pulled by a string of elemental dust, forming shapes in their wake.

The Mineralite actor pressed his palms together and combined his twin flames into a single, larger sphere of fire. He sent the white fire towards the Animalian.

The Animalian redirected the fire and sent it towards the Elementi woman.

She tumbled out of the way, leaving nothing between the audience and the fire sphere.

The Mineralite pulled the fire back like a puppeteer pulling the strings of his puppet.

The Elementi pulled the heat from the ashes on the ground and formed a new fire sphere.

Instead of trying to beat the Animalian on their own, the Elementi woman and Mineralite man worked together. Their combined blast sent the Animalian to the ground on fire.

Sihara and the rest of the audience stood and cheered as the heroes triumphed over the villain, who wished to do them harm.

The performers turned away from their fallen comrades to address the audience. “We put on this performance to show you that the alliance proposed by the Elementi Taj and Mineralite Lord Ambassador is the only way we will win the war against the Animalian tribes.”

Sihara’s heart swelled. No one has ever done something so impressive to support my family. Maybe there is a chance for this alliance after all.

“I represented the United Republics of Elementi.” The woman in the white mask explained as the stagehands reset the ring for the next showing. “We extended the hand of friendship to Animalians, and they only burned us for it. That did not stop our ever-loving hearts from reaching out to the poor creatures.”

“I represented the Mineralite Kingdom.” The man in the clockwork mask spoke to the crowd. “You wanted nothing to do with the war, but Animalian tribes didn’t care.”

“And I represented the ugly monsters that are the Animalian tribes.” The man leered at the audience. “When I fight each of the countries separately, we are equally matched. If the Mineralite Kingdom and the United Republics of Elementi forge an alliance, we will have twice the power. It would be enough to overcome the tribes.”

As the crowd filed out of the tent, Sihara caught bits of conversation.

“My heart was beating so hard when the Animalian threw the first fire sphere!” A Mineralite woman told her friend.

“You saw me, I was halfway to the door!” The other woman replied.

“I thought the dance was all too violent. I came here to get a break from the war, and here we are talking about it again.” A man in a warrior’s uniform grumbled.

“Do you think the alliance will work like they said?” A Kamdar asked the Sikar standing next to him.

“If they added the part where the Mineralites stab the Elementi in the back as soon as the Animalians are down, yeah, it will work exactly the same.” The Sikar retorted back.

A messenger stood off to the side. As soon as he saw them, he bowed. “Sikar Sebastian, a letter arrived for you at the Ambassadorial Halls. I thought it most prudent to ensure you received it right away.”

Sebastian opened the letter and started reading, dismissing the man.

The messenger waited and frowned.

Sihara dropped a few shy’lls in his hand. “Sorry, he forgets.”

The messenger smiled and left to find the next highborn.

“Ah, I did not expect them to get back to me tonight.” Sebastian threw the letter into one of the basins of fire lining the entrance to the circus tent. “I will have to leave for a meeting after we hear the King’s speech.”

After spending so little time together, he would leave her for another meeting. Instead of telling him how she felt, Sihara said, “It amazes me how graceful someone can be when they are dancing with something as destructive as fire.”

The mineralite-manufactured shacks were identical in design, just like their people. The muted red bricks blended with the shadows of the night and made the artificial light even more pronounced.

Steam-powered gadgets and gizmos marked the so-called “madmen” apart from the commoners selling books, trinkets, and manufactured clothes.

A man waved his clockwork arm with a dramatic flourish. “Want to get rich? Just buy this little gadget, and you can turn anything into shy’lls!”

Sebastian tried to lead Sihara away from the man, but she wouldn’t have it.

“You are selling a gadget that manufactures shy’lls?” Sihara asked. “You must show me this device! How does it work?”

The man pulled a heavy machine from underneath one of his tables. “You put things like paper, stone, or metal in this shoot, and then…” The machine made a horrible noise as the gadget ground the junk together. It shook with vigor and almost leaped off of the table.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Shy’lls popped out on the other end of the machine.

“There, look at these.” The man scooped them up in his hands and poured them into Sihara’s. “You could be the richest Elementi on the planet!”

“Indiscernible from the real thing,” Sihara commented as she turned the fake shy’ll over in the light. “Peacekeepers! This man is trying to sell a machine to forge shy’lls!!”

While the Elementi Peacekeepers tried to push through the crowd, the Mineralite Enforcers appeared in front of the shack as if from thin air. “Thank you for your service, Taja Sihara. You are no longer needed here.”

“The Enforcers were watching that man. Next time, you shouldn’t get involved.” Sebastian dragged her to the far end of the festival grounds.

Sihara spotted a fortune-teller tent. “Oh, we must have our fortunes told.”

Sebastien stopped in his tracks. “You have to be joking.”

“It’ll be fun; I’ll go first!”

The fortune-teller’s voice was rough; her arm was steady as she lit another incense stick. “You wish to have me tell your fortune?”

Sihara took a shy’ll from her pouch and dropped it in a small currency box. “Yes, what does my future hold?”

The fortune-teller cradled her face in her hands. “You will not be married until the wrathful eye of the Creator has closed. Furthermore, you must marry only after the mercy of the Creator has shone upon you and you have fully committed yourself to your path. You must keep a watchful eye on the ocean bed of your life. The tide will come in twice before the tsunami shakes the foundations of your castle.”

“Anyone could know that I’m getting married soon. Tell me something better.” Sihara encouraged her.

“A shadow has appeared over your soul… No, the shadow dances at the edges of your light. You must find and banish this impurity.” The old woman shuddered and took a deep breath. “Being brave is not about being unafraid; it is doing the right thing even if the consequences scare you. Have heart, for your strength will be tested in ways you cannot imagine. You must extend your loving heart to the lost child and not flinch away from what you are most afraid of.”

Sihara exited the tent a little spooked.

“Unnerving?” Sebastian asked after she exited the tent in a rush.

“That’s the point!” Sihara laughed, “I promise I will make it up to you. Want to go hunt for ancient maps?”

“Always.” Sebastian grinned, his passion for cartography making his steps quicker as he hunted for hidden gems.

A glittering figurine caught Sihara’s eye on the shelf of trinkets. “Is this a genuine artifact or a forgery?”

Sebastian picked up the item and felt its weight. After careful consideration, he said, “It is a forgery, but an excellent one. The material is from the walls of ancient ruins. See how the edges are still raw here and not worn smooth with age? Most people don’t know the figurines are a different hue than the stone of the ruins.”

“Do you have one in your collection?”

“Yes, although I sell more than I keep.” Sebastian walked into the next partition of the shop. “Creator’s Breath!”

“What is it?” Sihara picked up her skirt and followed Sebastian. This partition smelled sour, and it was little wonder; the shopkeeper had filled it to the brim with maps made from animal hide.

“These are some of the best maps of the Outlands I have ever seen in my life!” Sebastian’s eyes were alight with adoration. “I mean, look at these, Sihara!”

Try as she might, it still looked like a regular map to her, but Sebastian was the expert map collector, so this map must be something special. “I think I will get a bite to eat from one of the vendors while you look at the maps.”

Sebastian made a face of disgust. “That doesn’t qualify as food, my dear. It is not sanitary.”

Sihara crossed her arms. “What do you suggest I do?”

“Wait until we get back to eat. It is better than risking your health for a snack.” Sebastian reassured her with a condescending pat on the back. He discussed an arrangement with the shopkeeper about purchasing all his maps.

But the food smells so good!

Roasted harnark over a spit with a thousand rare spices, sold at the same price as street food.

Maybe I will just wait until he goes to his meeting. What he doesn’t know won’t kill him.

“Make way for the King! Make way for the King!” A voice cried out.

Sebastian glanced at his timestone and smiled. “Seven minutes after six. My, my, the Mineralite King is late. How unfashionable.”

Sihara rolled her eyes. They left the shopkeeper’s tent and joined the forming crowd.

King Dresden’s personal steam carriage rushed past the crowd at full speed. It screeched to a halt and hissed as the overworked steam engine cooled. It diminished the beauty of the conventional bronze steam carriages Sihara had ridden in. Where the bronze frame had been cut into a lace pattern, the silver frame was hand-wrought and weaved to form a detailed forest scene. It was the oldest functioning carriage, and each of the King’s blacksmiths embellished it as the centuries had drawn on. Fragments of powerstones in the frame glittered in the light.

Silence descended upon the Twin Moon Festival as everyone waited with bated breath for the King and Queen of Minerale to emerge.

The screech of metal brushing against metal echoed out into the night air.

King Dresden stepped out into the mud with all the grace only a royal could muster. The lace of his frilly white shirt seemed fit to burst from his jacket. They worked glittering powerstones into the silver crown atop his head with the mastery only Mineralites possessed. His hair was black as his heart, and his dark blue eyes were alight with keen intelligence.

Queen Nadine peeked her head outside the door of the steam carriage with wide-eyed wonder. She wore a delicate crown of silver fashioned into a wreath of flowers. Her simple, light blue dress shimmered in the lantern’s light.

Sihara felt sorry for her, a common woman married to a ruthless king.

One of the King’s Guards took off his jacket and laid it on the mud, so the Queen did not have to dirty her boots.

Queen Nadine winced. “Oh, thank you, but you didn’t have to do that. Just think about how hard it will be to wash.”

King Dresden chuckled, offering his hand to help her out of the carriage. “Yes, but imagine Katrina’s wrath if you stained your lace with mud.”

Queen Nadine lifted her skirts enough to keep them from dragging. “I don’t see how it is any different. Someone will have to clean this jacket. I am not allergic to mud.”

With that, the queen won over the hearts of all who listened.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter has the unique distinction of being written from Sihara, Jaden, Sebastien and Mylo's perspective at one point or another during the drafting process! Please share in the comments your favorite thing to see at your local festival.