Beastly Beauty

Chapter 5 Aftermath

It had been three weeks since the fire and the circus had gotten back on it's feet thanks to the help of the villages and the two healers on top of the hill.

 Franky the circus owner, was getting bored with the small crowds and couldn't wait to be back in the big cities with thousands of people crowding around. He was feeling wretched for the loss of one of the main attractions. The Beast. How was he going to ever draw in the same crowds again?

Fire breathing, horse somersaulting, trapeze swinging and tightrope walking were nothing compared to the Beast. He was a magnificent creature and nothing you'd ever seen before. And now he was gone. Franky cursed, throwing the account keeping book across the room in anger.

 "What's up boss?" The animal trainer, a big strapping young fellow named Pedro Lakanski questioned warily. Franky was known to have a volatile temper at times and breaking nearly everything in his room was not to uncommon, but the animal trainer could tell when something was amiss and he felt it now.

"We're losing money that's what's wrong. Being in this tiny non -existent place is not helping and now we've just lost one of our prized show pieces," Franky snarled, smashing a cheap antique looking clock with a CRASH! Pedro backed up a step to stop from getting spittle on his face. 

Suddenly feeling defeated by some unknown force, the circus owner slouched to the tent floor gripping his greasy hair in his gloved hands. 

"That was probably our last best thing and we couldn't even sell the stupid beast and now this will probably be our last show and it's in the blasted no where's! Not a city in site."

 Franky felt miserable alright and couldn't wait to get his small dismal circus out of there before more of his animals suddenly decided to disappear. 

"We could always try to get a search party to find the beast," Pedro said hopefully, honestly he didn't understand why the creatures disappearance upset this man, weren't they going to sell it or otherwise kill it before? What had suddenly changed the circus owners mind? Were they really losing that much money? But hadn't they all been pretty careful on how much money they were using?

 What was going on?

 "Humph, maybe we should get those villagers to track the beast, them being the damned reason we lost the thing in the first place."

 "Now we don't know that boss," Pedro interrupted with shock, it's not like the boss to accuse just anyone. "It was an accident, very easily done too." 

Franky grunted, "I don't believe that." 

Dear god, could he not just let dogs lie? "Okay, we'll send out a search. I'll ask some of the men." With that said Pedro left feeling the joy filled feelings he'd entered with, dispersed.

 The villagers were kind and gentle people, they'd lent out rooms to a few of the circus folk when the fire had burnt up their tents. Walking up to where some of the village men had gathered to discuss housing arrangements and settlement areas for the circus animals,  Pedro sighed in defeat of the matter. He found the village a calming place to settle down and the people all seemed so kind and generous. So unlike the city. 

"Men, I - we appreciate your helping us with lodgings and food. It is most generous of you and your families."

The leader of the group, Mr Ersling gave a gruff cough and a dismissive shoulder shrug. "It's no trouble Mr..err.. Lakanski?" 

Pedro smiled warmly. "Please, just call me Pedro. I know this is a lot to ask on top of what your already doing for us.. But, well... One of our most prized animals managed to escape that day in the fire. We would need help tracking it..." 

"What kind of beast we talking about here?"

 "Well he's more like a panther, you might say. my deepest apologise, had we known this might happen we wouldn't have even come this far out."  

 "No problem, we don't want no wild beast roaming round our village attacking the children now. How many men will you need to find this animal?" 

Pedro couldn't believe his ears, these men, these men were about to put their lives out there just to help people they didn't even know?

 Strange things sure do happen out in the wilds.  

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Short chapter I know, but I thought you might like to get an over view on the whole of the matter, or something of the sort :) College is really taking up all my time so I have a hard time writing free-hand anymore, however I would love to hear any feedback :) 

Also is sort of an anniversary for this story (bit soppy, but whatever :D) since I started writing it last valentines. Well I really hope you enjoy reading this and the next chapters to come >_< :)

Skyofthefallenrose xoxo