Scribbles and Drabbles

Strings of Fate 3

The air of the ring shifted as the man prowled on stage, excitement building. The performance was about to begin.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, I bid you welcome to our humble circus." Marquez's voice roared through the room, needing no loudspeaker to make himself heard. It rattled in Terrence's chest and his mouth went dry at the very sight of him.

Everyone knew who this hybrid was. Marquez was on every poster plastered to the walls. Terrence had been too distracted to think about the implications of facing the man again, even from a distance. Birds may not be able to fly but other hybrids did gain some sense of their creature's abilities. Smell, speed, reflexes, mammals tended to have more from their animal half than other species types. It helped when hunting people.

"He's gorgeous!" Daniel whispered gripping Terrence's arm excited.

"Easy," Terrence chuckled, gripping the hand back and wriggling him back.

There was not much left to the imagination in Marquez's outfit. Rippling muscles which flexed easily under his tanned skin. The material he was wearing was as bright and varied as the circus itself, blending reds and browns with the bright orange fur that made up his animal. Orange and black markings wrapped around his calves and forearms and mixing into the thick fur on the back of his hands and wrists. The coat covered the top of his shoulders and back, growing up onto his nails which were like talons enchanting the image. His face was full animal at the moment, the distinct feline look of a tiger.

Cat ears flicking slightly from the top of his head, as they listened to the sounds of the circus and his tail danced behind him, appearing as if it was just moving to the audience as the man walked. Terrence knew better. He was giving orders to the people backstage. The tails flicks meant things. He just wished he knew what now.

"I bet he'd be great in bed, if you survived anyway," Daniel purred.

Terrence's stomach tightened as reality slipped back in. There was possibly a little too much truth in that statement. Marquez was the ringmaster. He was Madame X's right-hand man. He was handsome, but he was a dangerous man. Terrence shivered. The memory of being trapped against a wall as the man peered down at him with a predator grin on his face breathed against his neck. He looked back but there were only more audience members.

"Terry?" Daniel looked at him concern.

He shook his head, focusing back up at the tiger spinning a staff with magic floating off the thing. Smoke filled the room and music build up around as animals formed in the colours, merging with humans and dancing around the all.

"I'm fine." His returning smile was weak. Daniel went to say something but Marquez's voice was vibrating around the ring again.

"Welcome all to the show. Tonight, you will see beyond your imaginations and hopes. Tonight, you see into the world of those of us blessed to be of both animal kin and of human. Tonight you will see..." Terrence half-listened as a list of names and acts was read off. Some he knew. Others were new.

He focused on calming his heart. He was safe. There was nothing Marquez could do anything during the show. The exit was nearby. He could leave if he thought things were getting dicey. The first few nights were safest. They marked people but they didn't take the souls or kidnap anyone until the final few nights. Daniel was fine tonight. He'd be pissed if Terrence left without telling him but nothing bad would happen.

"Then watch as my Partner, Sanvish and I play with lions. The great lion tamers!"

Sanvish? He was new. Terrence snapped back up to the ring as a new hybrid appeared on the stage, arm looping with Marquez's as he beamed wearing a matching outfit. Another feline type, possibly a leopard? Terrence couldn't be entirely sure. He was out of the practice of knowing people's animals by sight alone. Black fur decorated his body rather than the orange and black of Marquez. Terrence's fur had formed in the same place when he'd been a hybrid. Maybe it was a feline trait?