Circus Of Seven Sins

Chapter 1: Gather Around The Square, Meet The Cast.

Four large circles stood in the town square that day. Each watching an individual act of splendor and wonder. The largest and most steadily growing group of townsfolk, followed the movements of a handsome young man in the centre of their circle. The young man in question wore only baggy black trousers, held up by a single red rope tied around his waist. This left his olive chest bare and open for the red flames to trail upon his skin.

It could have been water, the way the fire trickled down his arm and pooled into the palm of his hand. It flowed from one hand to another and was left to slip away from his fingertips, and died as it fell to the cobbled ground. The man wasn't fazed by this at all, instead snapping his fingers and flickering new life into his hand, filling the air with the crowd's exclamations of amazement.

The new flame grew in his fingertips , forming like snakes, and leapt off of his skin to land on his forearm, slithering up to  his neck and back down his chest. It circled twice, before being snatched up by his hands again, and tossed into the air to grow,flicker and die as it's brother had.

It was obvious to the crowd that the fire feared the man, not the other way around. HE was it's master and HE controlled it's life. If he told it to jump, it jumped. If he told it to dance it danced. If he told it to die, it died. And the flames obeyed, like a dog to it's master.

The young man's black hair was almost singed as the fire leapt over his head once more, only this time, he raised the ball of fire to his face and to the fingertips of his left hand. With his right, he raised his fingers to his lips, silencing the crowd. As though if they were too loud, the flame would be too scared to stay. The crowd obeyed, compelled by this man's sincerity and mysterious atmosphere. He then raised his hands above his head and allowed the fire to make it's way to the palms of his enjoined hands.

He spun, his hands threw to the sides of his body, taking the flames with his and they formed an ever growing circle around him. Barking out a laugh, more out of habit than amusement, he threw the fire into the air once more, running to catch it as it neared the crowd. He was careful, though, to not singe the scruffy bag he had left at the side of his circle.

Though his circle of fire was broken, the fire still trailed after it's master, as a child does for it's mother, only the young man did not care to notice the trailing "child" of his, he only cared for snatching the embers from the air, and dancing along with the flames. All the while, a small, mischievous smile played at his lips.

When he finally made it to the centre of the circle, the crowd was already flung into a frenzy of excitement  and childish joy. Young boys and girls laughing and dancing in their own ecstasy, and even the elderly were smiling and becoming entrapped by the performance, as though they were in their youth once again.

The young man clicked his fingers and another flame erupted from his fingertips, and he silenced the crowd once again with a glance from his smouldering eyes. When they had been subdued, waiting with a bated breath, he kissed the tips of his fingers and waited seven seconds, counted by the crowd in silence. Then, he threw his head back and blew out with new found vigour and energy.

Fireworks! Not as flashy as the town's new year fireworks, but spectacular all the same! He ran fast around the circle throwing flames from his mouth into the air, to create gorgeous fire flowers and patterns, sending even the bravest of men and women, back in fear of the heat. But the man kept dancing with the fire, not fearing it's heat or it's ferocity, only caring about making it last for as long as possible.

Finally, he made it back to the centre of his circle, and snapped his fingers, creating one last flame, and signalling the end of his act. The crowd clapped and cheered at his performance as he threw his last flame into the air, allowing to it's freedom to dance it's first and final dance.