The Carnival at Moonbright

Master Elysium took his performance seriously, and it was always a spectacular show. He hollered, yelled, sang, laughed, and generally wooed the crowd as he introduced each act. First up, The Crepuscular Twins! Lyla and Myla swung through the air with grace and finesse. Lyla used hoops to fling herself above the ground, taking golden bracelets off her wrists and using her monk training to push fire from her hands and project them away. Myla used the rafters, platforms, ropes, and even her sister to speedily make her way around the tent, throw her daggers, and catch the rings as the blades made an impact on targets around the large dome.

Master Elysium stepped out again and introduced the next performance. Clowns, Nix the contortionist, and Rhokhishi, under the name of Philomena Ballbuster, crowded the stage. The clowns and Nix would move around and cause a commotion as Rhokhishi juggled her blue balls and dangerous weaponry around them. Master Elysium even came out on stage and tried to touch Rhokhishi’s juggling items, only to get sarcastically scolded for touching her blue balls.

After that, Mr. Muffins came out and gave a brilliant display of arcane mechanization. He explained the science behind the items he used. Still, the crowd was lost in a sea of colors as Mr. Muffins pulled his hand cannon from its holster and shot at different projectiles, causing a miniature firework display to appear above them. At times, the arcane “bullets,” as Mr. Muffins called them, would ricochet across multiple targets, leading to a heavy display of color and commotion as the items would explode, sending sparks of different colors to appear.

Next, Master Elysium pulled everyone to silence. He waited with a silent gesture and then whispered to the crowd.

“It seems that today is an extraordinary day for you all. I have it on high authority that today, of all days, the moon will be full and bright tonight. Let’s see, shall we?”

Master Elysium pointed to the center point of the top of the dome. Nuv and Kiks, hiding in the top rafter, pulled the string from the center, and everyone watched as the crown opened up, revealing a bright and beautiful supermoon. He spoke a little louder, and the crowd leaned in excitedly.

“On nights like this, with the moon full, we are able to show you an exceptional performance. I could explain it, but I always believe actions speak louder than words.”

He stepped off the platform and off to the side. As he moved, a large container on wheels, with a cloth over it, was pushed into the center of the stage. Elysium walked up slowly and carefully and pulled the fabric away. Inside, two giant black bears in a metal cage roared out at the crowd. The crowd gasped as they saw a firbolg woman stand up from the middle of the cell.

“My name is Torra, and on a night just like this one, I was cursed by an evil hag.”

Everyone watched as the fur on her body turned white as she spoke.

“The hag was a terrible crone, wanting to commit atrocities to the world for her own entertainment.”

Torra’s body grew another foot as she was talking. Her hands grew almost triple their original size, and her clothing, while few, ripped as her body started to fill it more and more.

“People from my town swore they killed the hag, but I was still cursed. The town threatened to kill me if I did not leave, for a curse on one citizen could become a curse on everyone.”

Master Elysium walked back over towards the cage slowly. Torra’s body writhed and jutted as the bears circled her, hiding her from view occasionally as her body grew larger.

“We found her many years ago when she was still a child. I admit that I do not have the ability to remove her curse, but I will not harm such a poor soul. Please, give your prayers to Torra the Magnificent. Torra the Wonderful. Torra… the Cursed Shapeshifter!”

From the middle of the cage, Torra no longer remained. In her place, a large white bear stood on its hind legs and roared angrily at the moon. The bears inside the cage backed away from her, looking scared, then joined in by standing on their hind legs and roaring outwardly.

The crowd screamed and hollered in fear but stayed in their seats as they watched the bear push against the cage door, and it did not budge. They calmed down, clapped, and cheered as Master Elysium kept his distance but smiled and showed the bears off.

Gisela had been nervous all night, worried that this person could still be there. She looked from the rafters, barely watching the show, and scanned the tent repeatedly for any signs of trouble. Maybe it was the new moonlight, or perhaps it was just a moment of luck, but the man sat in the front row across from her.

He was staring right at Gisela, smiling. A shiver of fear and panic rose as she almost instinctively grabbed the greatsword on her hip. She motioned to fly down and tell one of the others, but before there was a chance, she saw the illusion fade from the man’s face.

The man was not just a random person. He was the paladin who killed Bruna. She froze as the man stood and walked onto the stage before everyone. The world seemed to freeze as everyone watched this man’s face change, his armor came back into view, and he stepped up to Master Elysium.

Elysium turned around just in time to see the man pull a mechanical hand cannon from his holster, raise it to Elysium’s forehead at point-blank range, and pull the trigger. The carnival troupe watched in horror as the town of Moonbright hadn’t realized this wasn’t part of the show. Someone screamed, and it filled the air, piercing through the excitement that previously held the crowd.

The paladin took the weapon and aimed it at the lock on the cage. He fired again and stepped aside as the two bears and Torra’s transformed self threw themselves out and moved toward civilians. People jumped, screamed, and started to run for their lives as the creatures moved closer and closer.

The paladin looked back up at Gisela and smiled with his blackened teeth and sunken eyes. She regained her composure and felt filled with anger, and she took flight and moved towards him. It was too late, though. He raised his hand, waved goodbye, and in a flash, disappeared again.