Le Cirque de la Lumière - Phan

Eight

The commotion in the town square was enough to draw most of the village out of their houses. Such an eclectic collection of people they had never seen. It was easy to tell who had visited the circus two nights ago. They greeted their favourite performers with hugs and smiles, and in no time at all a purple fire had been lit and a huge stew pot was bubbling with something delicious smelling.

The crystal had been transported by the winged horses, and now hovered slightly above the town fountain, looking a little lost. Dan gazed at it apprehensively. PJ had assured him that the process was both painless and simple, but had neglected to give him any details.

Dan, of course, was the centre of attention. Both circus workers and villagers alike were craning their necks to see the cause of all this commotion. Chris took no time in grabbing Dan by the shoulders and parading him around the square.

“This is the turnip who stole our little friends and set them loose in your village. Don’t worry, he swears it was an accident.”

Without the light and sparkles and magic of the circus, the magicians looked like different people all together. There were performers of all ages, all ethnicities. It was almost as fascinating to look at as the performances themselves.

“Chris told us the story,” Ramona said. “It’s not every night that someone with powers similar to ours shows up to the circus, let alone magic strong enough to lead phantoms away from the circus.”

“It’s also not every night that you find out that you have magical powers,” Dan answered with a nervous smile.

Even the circus creators had left their cosy nest to watch the events unfold. “So your plan was to add a bit of his powers to the crystal to expand it?” The curly haired girl asked.

“Yes,” PJ confirmed. “We’ve all done it, we’re all familiar with the cloud of warmth it gives off. What with us all here, making fires and stuff, they’ll feel it for miles around. Once Dan’s source is in the crystal it won’t disturb the phantoms anymore. They’ll probably curl right up and go to sleep.”

And so they got to work. More tea was brewed and forced down Dan’s throat, the crystal was pulled down into touching distance from the ground and a circle formed around it with magicians and villagers mingling together in one big crowd of curiosity. All Dan needed to do was touch the surface of the glowing shape, and the magic would be pulled in by every other bit of power that floated inside of it.

It was as easy as that, but the effect would be a great one.

“You need to sort of, let your magic go. Let it flow through you. It’s a bit easier once you’re used to the sensation of casting spells and stuff, but the crystal’s so big now that it shouldn’t be too hard.” Chris explained. “It feels a bit like peeing. Just, let it all go. Let that warm stream trickle out of you and down your trouser leg.”

“Chris.” PJ complained.

“Best to drink lots of water before, too. Make it really dramatic.”

“Please don’t pee on our crystal,” PJ sighed. “Ignore this clown.”

When the time came, Phil took Dan’s hand and led him over to where the giant structure rested on the cobblestones. He could tell that Dan was nervous, and his warm touch steadied Dan’s trembling body.

“It really is okay,” Phil murmured so that no one else could hear. “I promise. You’ll do fine. The only reason there’s a big fuss is because there are so many people here. If you want, I can get them all to look away.”

Dan smiled weakly. “It’s okay. It is all very dramatic and stuff, but like, it’s not a big deal. I just need to keep telling myself that it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to happen. This isn’t some fanciful tale. It’s real life. It’s my life, now.”