The early morning frost had begun to melt into silvery dewdrops and the circus camp was beginning to stir. The large cooking cauldron suspended over the central fire was bubbling with the morning’s breakfast, a savoury rice porridge, stirred attentively by A’akshi with help from Teela, on the scrounge for a few scraps of meat before Olvir woke up to feed her breakfast.
Song was going through her inventory of potions when an eager knock at the door of her caravan alerted her to the first of the morning’s encounters with hurried hunters keen to get out into the forest and hunt big game. They wanted strong sedatives and toxins to knock the animals out long enough to get them back to the arena where good money was being paid for dangerous beasts, they said. Posters had gone up all over town which explained the sudden rush.
Olvir and Caelan, wondering what this had to do with their upcoming battle, headed into town to check out the posters and the coliseum, while Song took to bird form to investigate the whereabouts of one of the other Scavenger Lords in town, the Child of Copper and Ivory, another competitor for the Moonspire. We’d been told where they were staying and just to sate curiosity wanted to investigate.
It turned out the Child of Copper and Ivory had procured the sole use of an inn, the Hobgoblin’s Head. It was sited along a popular thoroughfare but evidently shut to the public – though there was activity inside – Song could see through the windows. Hopping unnoticed onto the sill she watched a tall man (who to her sight had awakened essence on a level equalling her own) going over maps and inventories laid out on the downstairs tables. Helping were a number of assistants, including one other who Song could see was also an essence user, and was perusing a couple of thaumaturgical procedures.
Over at the coliseum, Olvir and Caelan eyeballed the posters which did indeed offer considerable reward for the capture of animals. They coaxed a little more information out of one of the coliseum guards… the final match had been altered to take into account the finalists’ friendship. They’d not fight each other but instead face a pit full of wild animals and prove their skill besting themselves against all of them. Olvir pondered how much he might be worth in tyrant lizard form but Caelan managed to convince him that as he’d need to be in the arena and human-shaped at the same time as the tyrant lizard he’d either look like a no-show – or be showing off far more than he’d intended.
Meeting up back at the circus we shared what we’d discovered and it wasn’t long before we were joined by Kashlyk to talk about the changes to the fight tomorrow night. He wanted to see Olvir and Caelan fight without holding back... and had realised that wasn’t likely to happen in the arena, so arranged the beast fight as a grand display and culmination of the tournament – when it was in fact a warm up for the actual fight which Kashlyk wished to take place in his sanctum afterwards. We could invite those we wanted – he had a few he’d like to invite, the Prince among them – but realised to get the fight he desired he’d need to leave the guest list to us and he was far more interested in the combat itself than in who watched.
He left us to think it over. Olvir and Caelan were in two minds – they’d not been looking forward to going head to head against each other but both were intrigued to see just what might happen. Coming to the conclusion that they’d do it – and try not to kill each other – we decided the Prince should be a witness, serving as equal parts revelation and demonstration of our ability to handle the Moonspire and anything it might throw at us. Also invited would be anyone from the circus who wished to come, excepting the new recruits who we didn’t know and more importantly, didn’t know us – as well as some of the local gods who Kashlyk wished to invite.
Kashlyk had wanted Iron Panther and Jubilant Storm to be there as well, but Caelan was a little more wary. Olvir knew both, though neither very well, but Caelan had never even met Jubilant Storm and while he was inclined to trust Iron Panther he wanted to speak with both to see for himself before making a decision. Thus off he and Olvir went, leaving Song to tell Kashlyk they’d accepted his proposal.
Caelan was quick to invite the weapons merchant, having been quickly assured he’d happily keep the secret Caelan hinted at in return for entrance to an exclusive post-tournament event. A little more conversation ensured with Jubilant Storm before he and Olvir extended their invitation but they left as confident as they could be that she’d be discreet.
Meanwhile, back at the circus Afra had tracked down Song after a busy morning of her own collecting on the bets Song had made, and was pleased to present her with a stuffed purse of silver. Song was impressed and encouraged Afra to take the cut she’d offered her initially, before teaching her a few circus tricks of the trade with makeup to alter her appearance. The boys got back to find a rather glamorous looking Afra who soon scurried off (no doubt to ruin the look almost immediately).
That night the circus was giving their penultimate performance and for once, Song slipped into the big tent to watch. Usually she was busy selling potions and drawing up astrological charts but this time wanted to see what Selene was up to. She watched as the Raksha, radiant in her Wood-Aspected disguise, concluded the show with her usual flourish and drew from everyone watching a little of their will and mystically converted it into essence and gossamer (a semi-ethereal power source Song recognised as uniquely Raksha in origin).
Selene’s spell wasn’t done. As it drew on the watcher’s will it also caught them up in the story the circus wove and instilled in them a permanent intimacy to the circus itself. Those who’d already held such an intimacy for some three or more years we touched yet deeper, and she shifted the very core of their being into a desire to follow the circus.
Song shuddered, and slipped away, in equal parts worried and afraid of Selene’s power and unknown intention. Sharing what she’d learned with Olvir and Caelan later we talked it over before realising not only were we unsure if we could do anything, we didn’t really want to do anything. We didn’t know Selene’s intentions and while we suspected they weren’t exactly pure, her power level was intimidating enough without our uncertainty about what to do. Resolving to keep a wary and watchful eye for now we moved onto other, less worrisome things and invited the circus to the coliseum event in Kashlyk’s sanctum the following night. Selene had to be invited too, of course, and Olvir volunteered for that task. It gave him the chance to ask what her plans were for the circus given her recent drive for new recruits.
She replied in her usual amused and offhand manner. She’d no plans to deviate from our current route… because the circus already had a reputation on which to build and in a year or two could grow to become a legend with people flocking to see it. At least, that was the impression she left him with, Selene was as ever, evasive when it came to making actual declarations.
Song and Caelan passed on the invitation to the rest of the circus and leaving them talking about it, left the warm fires to trek across Moonspire to find Afra’s old fellows. Song had spoken to the leader of the Academy and he’d accepted her proposal: now the children had to decide if it was right for them. She laid it out for them in quiet tones and tried to keep it simple: they would go to live at the Academy where there’d be food and warm beds, and in return they’d work in the kitchens, the libraries, tending to the needs of the academics - and perhaps in time, the brightest would become students themselves. The children accepted the deal quickly – hunger was a powerful tool for persuasion. Song agreed to return the next day and introduce them to their new home.
She did as promised and after introducing them to Master Iaki’s representatives and making sure they were settled, took the opportunity to use the Academy’s library. Along with Olvir who’d been keen to make sure the children were settled, they read what the library held about Raksha; mostly accounts by members of the Guild of trades made, or stories of Raksha encountered with grand quests in mind – to catch the greatest fish in the West, or tattoo the leaves of all the forests of the East with blood. But mostly the books told of their war upon Creation which they looked upon with a hatred unsurpassed. It wasn’t exactly light reading.
They’d left Caelan practicing with his daiklave back at the circus. Having returned Iron Panther’s sword when he and Olvir gone to see him the day before, he didn’t want to knock him dead or lop off a limb in the heat of the battle, so had resolved to practice striking with the flat of the blade. It wasn’t an intuitive process – though as with most things these days, manageable. So as the evening approached the two coliseum finalists prepared to fight and surrounded by a circus entourage arrived at the coliseum to discover the newly-created final round. The wide coliseum arena had been set up to look like a jungle – albeit one which could be viewed from above by the watching crowds. To gasps of horror and delight the captured beasts, having shaken off the effects of the soporifics, were released into the jungle and began to stalk hungrily amongst the greenery.
There were several warm-up bouts before Caelan and Olvir faced the worst the arena had to offer but both put on a show to keep the crowd entertained. Olvir was never happier than when he was showing off to an eager crowd and when they emerged triumphant and received their belts of victory from the Prince it was to rapturous applause from the watching citizenry of Moonspire.
The show over, people began to file out, leaving only those who knew the show wasn’t quite over yet. Song spotted several hooded gods – none with Essence which vastly eclipsed her own, and none who could match Selene now she’d grown in power. They and the other selected guests were led to the doorway to Kashlyk Ashak’s sanctum and shown the grand coliseum inside. Those who’d not seen it before marvelled at the magnificent sight. As people made their way to the stalls to take their seats – all having excellent views – Song studied the other gods in attendance.
A couple were immediately familiar – she’d read up on them recently and offered sacrifices. Azeri of the Grey Mind and Steinthr, the merchant god were in attendance, along with one she recognised as Granus, the god of burnt books. He was dressed in hardened fabric and within the folds the odd ember could be seen. Ethris was also there, as we’d expected, along with Van-Oris.
Some smaller gods had also been invited by Kashlyk: Kombucha, the god of sweet pickles, Hotei, the god of fool’s luck and Karni, god of rats, who took the form of a young girl and smelled faintly of rubbish and cheese. They took seats along with the others as a hush descended and all eyes were drawn to the arena floor.
It was the quiet before the storm. Olvir and Caelan faced each other across the soft sand and drew upon their inner reserves. A pulsing golden glow began to brighten as Caelan’s anima twinkled into life, the channelled essence burning into sunlight around him. Olvir’s power was more muted and showed nothing obvious to begin with as Caelan rode off a little on Ariorn. Olvir leapt for the skies but shifted to his hawk form a second too late and was forced to swoop low along the ground before gaining the height advantage.
Caelan took aim from horseback with an arrow but it glanced off Olvir’s wing doing him no real harm. Caelan notched another arrow which took flight as Olvir dived and shifted into the incongruous form of a fish at the last moment. The arrow glanced off his scales and he bellyflopped onto Caelan’s face where the surprised Solar slapped him out of the way with the flat of his sword, much like a bear would stun a salmon as it leapt from water.
His blow sent Olvir flying like a slip of silver across the arena but even as a fish Olvir was surprisingly resilient and before he landed he’d shifted into a dread tyrant lizard, bellowing a challenge. Caelan’s hand laid on Ariorn’s neck instantly calmed her even as the crowd exclaimed in surprise.
The fight was on. Caelan launched a charge and his sword bit deep through scaled flesh almost severing tendon from bone. Olvir didn’t yelp, though Caelan winced... Olvir shifted into strix form to claim the air and allow himself to heal – which he did in spectacular fashion, moonsilver reknitting his wounds as his anima flared to bonfire-like brilliance. Caelan took the chance to wave his sword victoriously to the crowd as he rode a circuit, keeping an eye on Olvir. They’d certainly put on a good show for the audience so far...
The arena wasn’t just a sandy expanse and in some areas mirrored the junglescape of the arena they’d fought their first battle of the night in. Olvir thought he could hide amongst the beasts of the jungle and slithered amongst them in snake form – but his disguise was drowned by his moonlit anima. Caelan threw a rock towards him to make it clear he’d spectacularly failed to hide.
Olvir shifted to his human (and thus armoured) form while Caelan performed a death-defying manoeuvre from the saddle to come in low and strike. Olvir wasn’t focused on Caelan – he was struck but it mattered not to the tough Lunar – instead he grappled Ariorn. The horse fell to the ground and Caelan deftly rolled off, cursing but undamaged.
He hit the ground rolling and as he came up turned round with an angry swipe at Olvir, fear for the safety of his familiar clouding his thoughts. The fierce blow would have cut through stone but not through Olvir who, shielded in part by a tree, took only a minor cut.
Using the stump of the tree as leverage Olvir launched at Caelan who struck at him, effortlessly avoiding his grapple but managing only to score a thin scrape across an area of unprotected flesh. It took only a few seconds for it to vanish, healed with barely a thought.
A flurry of blows rained down on Olvir but his natural resilience prevented any serious harm, though his attempt to grapple Caelan was once again turned aside as the lithe Solar moved deftly out of the way and with a quick dash to the stone wall surrounding the arena and a dextrous leap Caelan was astride it. Olvir contemplated throwing the tree trunk at him but decided against it - Caelan would likely dodge and he didn’t want to knock Telenka’s teeth out, so he resorted to brute strength and slammed a fist into the wall... crumbling the very structure as Caelan skipped lightly out of the way and the audience gasped.
They had barely a chance to catch their breath before Caelan leapt down from the wall to land a flurry of blows on Olvir – who defended deftly with the tree, though it didn’t hold up to the blows and cut into Olvir too. Pained, Olvir lashed out with his tree and Caelan leapt to avoid it, landing with ease on a fragile twig and using it to propel himself into the air to launch an overhead rain of blows. He dodged the first but the second struck true and Olvir finally succumbed to the force behind it. It didn’t fell him for long, but it was long enough for Caelan to stand back and dismiss his sword and Olvir to heal before standing, assuming his ape form and kneeling before the victor. Caelan knelt as well, not wanting the display of submission to be particularly noted.
As the audience applauded Kashlyk waved a scaled hand, revealing a flight of stairs through the rubble of the wall where the two climbed to receive his satisfied congratulations. He introduced the two warriors to the gods – Ethris, who we already knew, and then Azeri, Steinthr , Granus (who bowed, releasing a flurry of tiny hot ash particles), Hotei, Kani and finally Kombucha (the god of sweet pickles might be the least powerful of the gods in attendance but Olvir’s fondness for foods of any form immediately made him warm to her).
Iron Panther and Jubilant Storm were slack jawed having watched the fight and for once, were not fighting themselves. Indeed everyone who’d seen the battle looked on in awe, even Prince Telenka who, impressed, congratulated the fighters and asked us to join him tomorrow night at the palace. Meanwhile Song had been approached by Azeri of the Grey Mind who suggested she may stop by for tea sometime soon.
Everyone wanted to congratulate Olvir and Caelan and they spent a little while talking to their adoring public before Selene began to usher the circus folk away. The gods departed not long after and we made to leave – but before we left Kashlyk had a worrying concern he needed to raise and told us how the bodies of Caelan and Olvir’s opponents from the semi finals had been stolen from the coliseum’s basement room where they’d lain awaiting the rites for the dead. Kashlyk himself wasn’t aware of everything that went on in the arena so didn’t know what had happened – but it was suspicious enough that he asked us to look into it. For now, the room had been sealed and we agreed to return the next day to investigate before we left.
It was late, but rousing cheers awaited as we returned to the circus and with a celebratory mood wrapping the camp the two coliseum victors enjoyed being the centre of attention. Caelan took the opportunity to round off the evening with several flagons of whatever alcohol was passed his way and after a few too many, took up Ittur’s challenge of a drinking competition. The unrivalled constitution of one of the Sun’s Chosen meant he won… but he revelled in his victory for all of 3 seconds before he passed out. Olvir – slightly more sober – found him a thick blanket and left him to sleep it off under one of the wagons, out of the way of yeddim hooves.
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