Chapter XXX (30)

  The ringmaster, whose name turned out to be Alberto, passed Mitsuko off to a pair of his performers after accepting her. Both were tall blond humans. Mitsuko assumed them to be siblings before she caught onto their flirting. Sara and Hugh both stood over two meters in height, dwarfing her in their shadows. But, unlike actual giants she had met, both smiled pleasantly and beckoned her forward.

  “Alberto wants me to teach you a few basics of tumbling.” Sara passed her a cup a tea. “He said you were a dancer before your accident?”

  “Bladedancer,” Mitsuko clarified. She took a sip. It was quite a nice blend. She thought she tasted a hint of peppermint mixed in. Very exotic. It wouldn’t be out of place at a meal with Emperor Sasaki.

  “Ah, that makes so much more sense.” Sara nodded. “You don’t have the look of a traditional ballet dancer from Hon.”

  “Or the rustic look of an Edgeland clogger,” Hugh added.

  Mitsuko had actually learned the basics of several ballroom dance styles while in service to the Hon Empire, and attended plenty of balls across the civilized world unembarrassed. She was far from spectacular, but knew enough to perform competently and keep from causing a scene. But that wasn’t important information at the moment. She simply chuckled along with the performers.

  She wished that Holly had been allowed to join her. Navigating conversations like this was always needlessly difficult for Mitsuko. She settled into her default of smiles and polite laughter. She lacked Holly’s delicate, yet sharp tongue.

  “At the very least, you should know how to take a fall. That’s good. Vital for our performance.”

  “You’re tumblers?” Mitsuko guessed.

  “In a fashion.” Hugh smiled sardonically.

  “We’re trapezists,” Sara explained. She pointed up at the swings overhead. “We swing from those.”

  Mitsuko blinked. “And…I’m supposed to join you?”

  “Not nearly anything complex. We will simply toss you between us. And at the end, we’ll throw you up into the air and you’re meant to throw your sword at a target. Just a small performance. Barely more than a half a minute in addition to our usual routine.”

  “Okay…” Mitsuko thought she could handle that. Just tossed up into the air like a sack of potatoes. Throwing her sword at the end as she fell would be easy enough to pull off. “How am I supposed to land with only one foot?”

  “Not a problem. Blok will catch you in his arms at the end.”

  “He’s our strong man,” Hugh explained. “Half goliath. He’ll be ecstatic to have a new role that doesn’t involve punching and breaking things.”

  “Blok really is a sweetheart. Not a mean bone in his body. He’s quite gentle, so don’t worry.”

  “I met a tribe of nomadic goliaths once,” Mitsuko commented. “They were extremely welcoming.”

  “Really?” both trapezists said at the same time. They smiled at each other.

  “You should tell Blok about them,” Sarah said. “He’s mentioned missing home.”

  “In all my travels, I’ve never met someone more homesick,” Hugh added.

  They chatted for a while about their lives while over to the backstage to find somewhere to sit. Mitsuko hobbled along using her crutch, declining their offers to assist her. Just at a glance she could tell both trapezists were definitely strong enough to carry her. That was without magical enhancements too.

  The trapezists were childhood friends from an island off the coast of Edgeland. They had an infectious wanderlust that Mitsuko resonated with. While the two of them had stared out into the sea’s horizon as children, Mitsuko had been gazing up at the stars above in the jungle. Years ago they’d taken advantage of Alberto’s visit to their home and signed on. Back then the circus had just been starting up and there had been a different trapezist. The two of them had spent the next several years training under the woman and she taught them everything they knew.

  And it didn’t take a genius to see that the duo now saw themselves as adopting the same role for Mitsuko. They kept making comments like, “Once you adapt to your new prosthetic,” and “Your height and build makes you lighter. I want to try—”

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  Mitsuko didn’t mind the assertions. She enjoyed learning about the art. While auditions were still in process to find new talent, they couldn’t use the full swings out above the performance ring, but the trapezists still demonstrated several different flips and tumbles from the practice swing in the back. They also worked on a matted floor to show her a simple, yet flashy, floor routine the newer tumblers always learned.

  “Have you noticed anyone strange recently?” Mitsuko asked during a lull in the conversation while they rehydrated.

  Both of them laughed. “Look around yourself. What do you think, Mitsuko? That we spend time with normal people?”

  “I meant strange for Mauve Island. Anything abnormal?”

  “That’s hard to say,” Sara said. “We’ve only ever been here once before and that was what, seven years ago?”

  “Eight,” Hugh corrected.

  “Hm. Why do you ask?” A new voice asked. There was a slight buzz to the tone, almost nasally.

  Mitsuko turned around and met the eyes of the bitelas who’d auditioned before her.

  While Sarah and Hugh had chatted and shown off to her, the bitelas had just sat in the corner and plucked at his instrument, tuning it while eyeing them with interest. This was the first he’d spoken up. Both Sara and Hugh were entirely tone deaf, so they had left him be. Later, one of the other more musically inclined circus performers would chat with him about his future performances. But those who were qualified to give him an orientation were all out shopping and not scheduled to return for another hour or two.

  “I’m just curious,” Mitsuko said, not thinking up a convincing lie.

  “Since the dome dropped, many have acted stranger than usual,” the bitelas man said, a buzzing accent lacing his words.

  “What about anyone new?” Mitsuko pressed. “Anyone you’d never seen before that suddenly appeared without any explanation?”

  That gave the bitelas pause. “Very specific for just random curiosity.”

  “Do you know anyone like that?” Sara asked, now also interested. “Maybe Mitsuko is on to something. What if there’s a powerful mage that created the dome? This is where most of the people are on the archipelago.”

  “No. I know of no such mysterious mage. Perhaps it would make for a good story however.” He fanned out his wings and played a short tune. Then he shook his head. “No. That’s too upbeat. Not enough mystery.”

  “Why did you sign on to the circus?” Hugh asked Mitsuko. “Because of the injury?”

  “Ah. Yes,” Mitsuko said, thinking fast. “I can’t exactly keep working as a guard with one foot, can I?”

  “How’d you lose it?”

  “Sea monster. Bit it clean off in my last job.”

  Both of the trapezists gave her a sympathetic look.

  “They’ve been more active since yesterday,” High said. “I met a sailor at a bar last night, he mentioned several of the ships assigned scout out the dome’s edge have been attacked. He blamed the shift in tides and currents.”

  “What about you? Why did you audition?” Sara asked the bitelas bard. “I’m sorry. I don’t know that we ever truly introduced ourselves to you earlier. I’m Sara and this is Hugh.”

  “Hm?” He looked up from his instrument, distracted. “Me? My name is Coleo. I suppose it’s obvious I’m a local. Not many bitelas anywhere else. I wish to travel and perform.”

  “Why now? We had auditions days ago. Did the dome push you into action?”

  “Hm. Not quite. I never thought myself good enough before. I’m a mediocre musician. I play at pubs for travelers. I am a novelty, but not especially remarkable.”

  He left it at that and, despite Sara and Hugh’s attempts to pry, Coleo tactfully dodged answering further questions.

  “Curious.”

  Mitsuko jumped. And looked to the side where Sterling was perched on a massive rock prop used by the circus’s strongman.

  “You’re going to give me a heart attack.” Mitsuko glared at the cat and kept her voice down to little more than a mutter. “When did you get here?”

  “Thankfully, your heart is in perfectly fine condition. Otherwise we’d all be in trouble. I walked in a minute ago. I do rather like this body, even more than I first assumed I might. It’s regal and yet simultaneously unassuming.”

  “Sure it is.” Mitsuko rolled her eyes. “What did you find so interesting that you felt the need to speak up?”

  “The tune that bitelas is playing. It’s familiar to me. Though I suppose that’s just how music is. Echoes exist and survive time. Long outliving mortals. Fascinating.”

  “Is that your pet?” Sara asked, turning away from Hugh and Coleo. “He’s cute! What’s his name?”

  “It’s Sterling. And don’t compliment him. It goes to his head.”

  Sara laughed. “Well, Sterling. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Don’t let Mitsuko’s sour attitude get you down. You are simply gorgeous. Look at that coat! Absolutely spotless.”

  “It is quite nice, isn’t it?” Sterling preened. “An absolute miracle I’ve cleaned myself up so nicely after our previous lodging.”

  Sterling continued to respond to Sara’s compliments, despite being unheard by anyone other than Mitsuko. She decided to leave them to it and rejoined the conversation with Hugh and Coleo.

  “Coleo,” she said. “Do you know any songs about heroes?”

  The bitelas bard paused and considered. “Obviously. At least half of all music with lyrics are about heroics. A month ago, I learned a new one about a man willing to end all of humanity for the sake of family. It’s quite popular. Do you wish to hear it?”

  “Not that one. Do you know any about heroes that weren’t supposed to be heroes?”

  “Of course.”

  He strummed his instrument and played. Besides the buzz in his accent, his voice was rather monotone and he wasn’t a natural singer, but even still Mitsuko found herself lost in his music. He sang on about a farmer girl turned queen. She’d fought tooth and nail for the position. But then, in the final verse, a Dragon arrived and turned everything she’d built to ash. All but her legend.

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