Charlie changes up targets once more as he has more than enough to choose from. he rockets some arrows across the field to do what little damage he can against these armored land sharks.
Charlies rushes back through the trees quickly changing his targets once more as he fires another arrow at its side. "They just keep coming up from the ground!"
With Chark's organizatio Charlie gets right to work helping Eliza get Mr. tickles prepared. "It's going to be a big show tonight. You got this." He offers some words of encouragement.
The sun dips low over the bustling market square, painting everything in amber light. Charlie wears his circus clothes with rolled-up sleeves and a wide-brimmed hat, weaving through the crowd with a bright grin. In one hand, he holds a stack of colorful circus fliers; in the other, a brass handbell jingles merrily.
At his side waddles Goliath. The little bear wears a patchwork vest and a tiny bowler hat that tilts rakishly to one side. With surprising dexterity, Goliath clutches his own bundle of fliers in his claws, passing them out to curious children and giggling merchants alike. Every so often, he rises on his hind legs and does a playful spin, earning delighted gasps.
“St-step right up, folks!” Charlie calls, voice warm despite the hitch in it. “Th-the Great Circus is in t-town for one week only! Fire b-breathers! Death-defying acrobats! A-and you haven’t lived until you’ve seen Mr. Tickles!!”
At the non-mention of his name, Goliath lets out an excited chuff, then executes an awkward but endearing somersault to try and bring attention to himself. A ring of onlookers forms. Coins clink into Charlie’s cap, and several children tug their parents’ sleeves, already begging to go.
Under the shimmering glow of the circus tent, thick with the scent of popcorn and sawdust, the crowd's murmurs hush into silence. A drumroll begins—slow, deliberate. Then, from behind the velvet curtain, she emerges: Evora, the half-orc strongwoman, towering and proud, muscles rippling under a glittering scarlet-and-gold costume. Her tusks gleam beneath the warm lights, and her dark green skin glows with the sheen of effort and pride.
Trailing behind her, like a mountain in motion, comes Gigi, her massive mammoth companion. Gigi’s gray hide is adorned with swirls of painted flowers and stars, her tusks wrapped in silken ribbons that flutter as she moves. Bells jingle softly from her braided tail, and a garland of marigolds crowns her great, wise head.
With a single booming command from Evora, Gigi rears up—towering on her hind legs, casting a vast shadow across the ring. The crowd gasps. Evora, without hesitation, sprints forward, and in a breathtaking feat of strength and trust, leaps onto Gigi’s back as the mammoth pivots gracefully in a full circle.
The music swells. Evora raises one arm high, spinning fire batons while balanced atop the mammoth's broad shoulders. She grins, tusks flashing, eyes locked on the crowd. Gigi trumpets—a proud, thunderous sound that echoes through the tent, shaking the very air.
Together, they are legend—an unstoppable duo of brute strength and elegant showmanship. The ringmaster doesn't need to speak a word. The applause that follows is deafening.
The lights in the circus tent dim, and a hush falls like a spell over the crowd. A single spotlight flickers to life, casting a long, dramatic beam into the center ring. A voice—silky, booming, full of promise—echoes through the air:
“Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for the blistering brilliance of... Fireproof Flynn!”
From a puff of smoke and a flash of scarlet sparks, he appears.
Flynn, the tiefling with ember-red skin and curled obsidian horns, strides into the ring like he owns the flame itself. His eyes glint like molten gold beneath the brim of a wide-brimmed black hat, and his long, fire-trimmed coat trails behind him with every calculated step. The crowd leans forward.
He gives a roguish bow. Then, with a dramatic flourish, he whips open a case at his feet—and out come five long knives, each one already lit with roaring, hungry flame.
With a snap of his fingers, the music kicks in—fast, wild, drums and violins in a frantic dance—and Flynn begins.
The knives fly.
They spin and twirl through the air in a perfect, terrifying rhythm, the fire trailing streaks of orange and gold above his head. The heat radiates outward, and the front rows can feel it. He juggles faster, faster still, until it seems impossible that he's in control—and yet he never drops a single blade.
Then, with a wicked grin and a wink to the crowd, he adds two more flaming daggers. The audience gasps. He tosses one behind his back, kicks another into the air, spins—and catches all seven, one by one, like it’s nothing.
For the finale, Flynn flips backward in a full arc through his own spinning firestorm, landing with one knee down and all seven blades buried in the ground around him, still blazing.
The crowd explodes.
Fireproof Flynn rises slowly, tips his hat, and disappears in a puff of smoke—leaving behind nothing but scorched earth and a thousand racing hearts.
Charlie takes a break from his performance and decides to use Goliath to patrol in front of the crowds. This both draws excitement as people pull back in their seats as the larger bear strides past, but also keeps some of the hecklers and scalpers in check as they quickly disperse, not wanting a confrontation.
I don't have near that amount of gold to donate so I will have to spend some time advertising.
Broke, but a little higher in spirits Charlie is excited for the first show without the Mistress setting up nearby as well. He heads out inot the town and passes out flier after flier as Goliath even helps holding hime in a satchel across his back. His presence alone draws in a sizeable crowd.
Using my downtime to promote
Promoting the Show Society DC 23:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29
Charlie looks to the others. "Might be a good idea? We could use a little relaxation now that Dusklight is gone." His voice seems a bit more relaxed, confident even. His stutter lessened eve after the stress of the Mistress chasing him day and night is now behind bars.
Charlie nods glancing back at the jail where Dusklight now resides. "Yes, l..l..lets put it all behind us." He is excited for a fresh start to everything. A chance to relax and take his mind off of things now that Dusklight isn't hounding him like the past several years.
Charlie grabs ahold of the rope. His hands shake greatly as he has to rework the knot several times. "That s..s..should hold her." He wies sweat from his face as he lifts Dusklight to her feet. "Let's get her into the authrities."
Charlie freezes momentarily as Dusklight appears in front of him once more. He had hoped to never have seen her again. "Why must you make everyone a..aa....around you suffer." His stuttering is worse when she is around. It had gotten better for a bit as he got comfortable around his new friends.
"She t..t..tortured us and those around her." Charlie pleads with Mazael. "I was lucky to have found Goliath chained by her and have been chased by her ever since f..f..freeing him." Charlie backs away as Goliath blocks the doorway with his powerful frame.
"There is still more room to search here. She couldn't have g..g..gotten far. We can pick up her trail." Charlie grimaces at the though of the MIstress out there eager to strike at them from the shadows. He nods to the door to the west, using his bow to slowly open the door and peer inside.
Goliath and Charlie push past into the room, Goliath blocking the path to the exit and pinning Stallit against the corner of the room. Goliath stands on his hind legs and snarls biting at the man.
Charlie gulps. "You really think she is just around the curtain? M..m.m..maybe she fled." He has a sinking feeling he will see her again but hopes a little that she ran away so he never has to.
Charlie tries to get better coverage and line of sight as he pushes into the corner of the room. Meanwhile Goliath charges in with Tiny, slobber foaming around his mouth in anger.
Charlie pulls his hands away from his ears as a trickle of fluid flows from them. "That's a name I c.c..c..could not hear again." He wipes the fuid on his cloak before nodding towards the enxt room.
Charlie nods, waiting just long enough for the fire to subside before rushing past. His heart pounds nervously as he has not faced the Mistress in quite some time.
With the snake dealt with Charlie rushes to the cage and tries to secure it before the Smilodon's get loose and cause more havoc. He looks around for a bar or something to jam across the doors.
Charlie watches in awe as the flame red electricity courses through and past the snake. He keeps his bead on the central coiled body as he fires more arrows.
With the meat distraction Charlie slinks into the shadows as he tries to quietly pad to the side of the door and stealthily shut the cats back into their cage.
Charlie slowly shakes his head not wanting to trigger the tigers into any hostile action. "I don't know much of a way to calm them down. Maybe I can sneak around and slam the cage door back shut in time?"
